THE PLANETESME PLAN

NEWBERY AND CALDECOTT PREDICTIONS!

2012-01-22T23:30:00.000-06:00

Hello, friends! Catching up a bit as I am still finding a balance between blogging, mom-ming, grad school, cake-frosting and being a full-time public school teacher librarian, but I haven't forgotten our fun and am busy compiling a list of this year's best. Meanwhile, I can't resist sharing my picks for the 2011 American Library Association's Newbery and Caldecott Awards, the "Oscars" of the children's book world, to be announced tomorrow morning. Here's where I am laying my bets:

WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE by first-time author Tess Hilmo (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). how exciting it would be for a mystery to win, a well-done sample of the genre that children will enjoy, but at the same time, fitting into the quirky, small-town, girl-centric character-driven mold that spelled success for past winners like Susan Patron's THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY and Kate DiCamillo's beloved BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE.

The muy populare THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING by Catherynne Valente, illustrated by Ana Juan (Feiwel and Friends), an imaginative quest bringing together the classic flavor and imaginative casting found in The Phantom Tollbooth and Alice and The Wizard of Oz, but with a modern sensibility and erudite sauciness that might tickle the fancy of a team of librarians.

But girls, girls, girls. How about giving another gender some play, namely,

MY NAME IS NOT EASY by Debby Dahl Edwardson (Masrhall Cavendish). Inspired by her husband's childhood, this is a stirring narrative of an Iñupiaq boy discriminated against at boarding school, told with the prowess, drama, and emotional insight that hearkens back to Louis Sachar's HOLES and situations described in the mighty autobiography by Ednah New Rider Weber, RATTLESNAKE MESA. What a great opportunity it would be for classrooms to discuss Native America in a civil rights context, and to discover a chapter of history all too recent and all too unknown. Whether it wins or not, we should be adding it to our collections and our conversations.

A number of books that have been getting a lot of buzz, and garnered a following through the year. Brian Selznick has been a deserving golden boy of children's books, enjoying recent popular success with his INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, and fast on its heels was this year's equally formidable WONDERSTRUCK, about a deaf girl's perceptions of the end of the silent film era. Selznick's thematic love of the movies and reinvention of the book form continues! Other hotties are Franny Billingsley's high fantasy CHIME, which will likely at least take a Printz award for Young Adult Fiction; Gary D. Schmidt who often creates intermediate/young adult hybrid books has won many silver medals for his work (LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY THE WEDNESDAY WARS) but may yet take the gold for OKAY FOR NOW; and Colin Meloy's WILDWOOD,
another nod to classic fantasy as Portland, Oregon serves as a portal to the netherworld of The Impassable Wilderness, and is a beautiful tome to hold and to read.

I have fingers and toes crossed for one of my favorites of the year, the beautifully written and poignant prose-poem about a girl who journeys from Saigon during the Vietnam War to Birmingham, Alabama, INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha La (HarperCollins) (which already has received a National Book Award nod). I always hope that some poetry or nonfiction takes the Newbery (how about this year's WON TON, by Lee Wardlaw; I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love it or like it a lot); departures from fiction doesn't always happen with the Newbery, but it's always interesting when it does (and there's always the Sibert Award for outstanding nonfiction, and one of my favorite prizes).

As for the Caldecott Award, my personal favorite as far as jaw-dropping-gorgeousness was BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON: ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI'S CANTICLE OF THE ANIMALS (Chronicle) reimagined by Katherine Paterson and brought to life in the paper-cut illustrations of Pamela Dalton, an artistic feat which seems almost super-human, the meticulous-labor-of-love likes of which I have not seen since Robert Sabuda's WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ (a pop-up book which should have gotten a Caldecott but was probably considered a novelty). Hopefully Dalton's unusual efforts will not be overlooked.

But then, there are a lot of picture book veterans pulling out the big guns: Marla Frazee's STARS is a favorite to win, being that she is a bit overdue for a Caldecott, as is Arthur Geisert (ICE) though I'm sure all the artists sweat (albeit admiringly) when the masterful Chris Van Allsburg QUEEN OF THE FALLS) or Maurice Sendak (BUMBLE-ARDY) have new offerings. Then again, Jon Klassen's I WANT MY HAT BACK has a lot of fans, though its rather abrupt naturalistic finish lines might leave it a cult favorite. In a year of stand-outs, I have a suspicion this year's winner could be a sleeper, and I can't wait to wake up and find out whose dream came true.

Certainment, two of the very best illustrated books of 2011 were FAIRLY FAIRY TALES illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, a stylish and eye-popping work which sadly came out too early in 2011 to be properly remembered when awards rolled around, and Jennifer Plecas's slam-dunk in THE BASKET BALL, probably too pink to take the gold, but still a picture party that I know many little girls will be so happy to attend. Luckily we're all such good sports! A special thank you to these illustrators who made this past year extra special for me, and congratulations to all the authors and illustrators who had works published this year. Medals or not, we win every time a child opens a book! Happy reading!

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More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

TIME FOR A HUG (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-12-11T15:13:00.000-06:00

Book du Jour:

TIME FOR A HUG by Phyllis Gershator and Mim Green, illustrated by David Walker (Sterling)

Wash our faces,
comb our hair,
choose the clothes
we like to wear.
Eat from a bowl,
drink from a mug--
What time is it?
Time for a hug!

Tick tock, hours on a clock click off tidily in verse, taking us through the joys of a preschooler's everyday life (as well as the first ten digits). A tender addition to any baby shower book basket!

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THE HAUNTED HAMBURGER (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-10-27T23:33:00.000-05:00

Book du Jour:

THE HAUNTED HAMBURGER AND OTHER GHOSTLY STORIES by David LaRochelle, illustrations by Paul Meisel (Dutton)

Seriously. Do I need to tell you why you need to add a book called THE HAUNTED HAMBURGER to your children's collection?! For practicing pedagogues, you'll find it will become one of your seasonal go-to's, featuring three vignettes: "The Scary Baby," "The Haunted Hamburger" and "The Big Bad Granny," all told as bedtime stories to frighten a little ghost. The stories conjure up way more laughs than shivers (especially when one poor ghost is fated to become a diaper! Augghhhh!) and are well-complimented by colorful and cartoonish illustrations. Most dependable primary pick for Halloween week as IN A DARK, DARK ROOM AND OTHER SCARY STORIES by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Dirk Zimmer (and that's saying a lot).

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LOVE TWELVE MILES LONG (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-10-12T21:58:00.001-05:00

Book du Jour:

LOVE TWELVE MILES LONG by Glenda Armand, illustrated by Colin Bootman (Lee & Low)

Inspired by the life of the great orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a mother separated from her son by slavery visits him, recounting every mile of the journey (first mile for forgetting, fourth mile for looking up, sixth mile for praying, seventh for singing), and giving her son the steps toward his own freedom. A stirring and hopeful read-aloud, this is a must-have for Black history, history of the American Civil War, the Antebellum South and slavery, and also for great moments in Mom history.

For story or study, pair with Anne Rockwell's ONLY PASSING THROUGH (R. Gregory Christie, illustrator), Tonya Cherie Hegamin's MOST LOVED IN ALL THE WORLD (illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera) and MAMA SAYS: A BOOK OF LOVE FOR MOTHERS AND SONS by Rob Walker, illustrated regally by Leo and Diane Dillon. (8 and up)

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More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

WITCHES! (NONFICTION)

2011-10-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Book du Jour:

WITCHES! THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE TALE OF DISASTER IN SALEM by Rosalyn Schanzer (National Geographic)

Ask: does your child know about the Salem Witch Trials? How about you?! Then you need this little chapbook, so chillingly adorned with black, white and red scratchboard illustrations and teeming with the primary sources and historical regret that the subject deserves. You also need WITCH HUNT: MYSTERIES OF THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS by Marc Aronson, which does a good job of exploring the role of peer pressure in the trials, making it very relevant to tweenagers, and Milton Meltzer's WITCHES AND WITCH HUNTS: A HISTORY OF PERSECUTION, written by a master of non-fiction and putting witch-hunts and their head devils in a historical and modern context (including Hitler and McCarthy). Of course, my favorite nonfiction about witches is contained in WITCHES by Erica Jong, which is full of many dirty and beautiful and disturbing illustrations and writing. I don't think is for children, although I received it on request when I was thirteen, and it is worth noting that I still did enjoy it very much.

And if your older, fiction-loving familiar has somehow wearied of Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery-winning Salem standby THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, try Celia Rees's WITCH CHILD for kids needing a more contemporary, and possibly independently accessible approach to the topic. (All for readers 11 and up, except for Erica Jong.)

Happy Banned Books Week.

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CUPCAKE (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-09-18T23:19:00.000-05:00

Book du Jour:
CUPCAKE by Charise Mericle Harper (Disney/Hyperion)

I promised you cake today.

I didn't want to like this book. Was it just adding its dozen to the cupcake craze sweeping every other block? Was it one of those overly-saccharine books that ultimately says "I'm okay, you're okay?" No. It was not. Yes, It capitalizes on our national love of frosting. Yes, it ultimately says, "I'm okay, you're okay," okay. But it also has a double-page spread of different cupcake characters (fancy flower-top cupcake, stripy cupcake, polka-dot cupcake) that is absolutely irresistible; how can you not choose a favorite? And for gosh sakes, don't we all need a candle, to help us find our inner light? This story is perfectly adorable, encouraging, and screams for various follow-up projects, whether decorating paper cupcakes or pulling out the pastry bags for some real action. Three yums up. (5 and up) And also, for lots of layers and zero calories, add BETTY BUNNY LOVES CHOCOLATE CAKE to your collection, featuring an energetic floppy-eared character that finds her cocoa-covered true love and is enamored enough to stick it in her sock. The thin-lined, watercolor illustrations are expressive and funny, and overall, a is the icing on the cake for a very realistic depiction of a hard-headed little girl in bunny's clothing (not that you might know any yourself). A nice choice for the FANCY NANCY and OLIVIA jet-set of readers. And if you're just in it for the pastry, please don't forget Janet Stein's THIS LITTLE BUNNY CAN BAKE, which lets some boys in the kitchen door, too. (5 and up)

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THE GINGERBREAD MAN LOOSE IN THE SCHOOL (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-09-17T20:31:00.000-05:00

Book du Jour:

THE GINGERBREAD MAN LOOSE IN THE SCHOOL by Laura Murray, illustrated by Mike Lowery (Putnam)

I'm the Gingerbread Man,
And I'm trying to find
The children who made me,
but left me behind.

Looking for the children in this reverse chase, our Gingerbread friend gets a grand tour of the school, and manages to find his friends in the end. Comic-book framing paired with fun, simple illustration and a limited but snazzy palette of browns, greens, turquoise and red makes for visually active pages that are still easy to follow when sharing with a classroom. This cookie is genuinely sweet! (5 and up) For other reads off the cookie sheet, taste-test THE GINGERBREAD GIRL by Lisa Campbell Ernst, or my favorite, Mini Grey's adventurous GINGER BEAR. And don't forget to share the original, newly reprinted with a handsome embossed cover, Paul Galdone's THE GINGERBREAD BOY, which, in combination with the other titles in Galdone's "Folk Tale Classics" series, has comprised my latest baby-gift-of-choice." The children never seem to trust that old fox, no matter how nice he tries to be...for a while, anyway. Oh, well.

And! While we're on the subject of the way the cookie crumbles, there's Jan Brett's busy GINGERBREAD FRIENDS, which is eye candy as much as it is eye cookie, and the Randall Jarrell's beautiful, old-fashioned first chapter-book read-aloud (yes, all you first grade teachers, this is for you!), THE GINGERBREAD RABBIT, illustrated by the great Garth Williams (of whose talents you are acquainted from CHARLOTTE'S WEB.

To be devoured with or without milk.
Cake tomorrow.

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THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND (Fiction)

2011-09-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

Book du Jour:

THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING by Catherynne M. Valente (Fiewel and Friends)

Save Fairyland, little twelve-year-old-girl! (No pressure.) With lots of wordplay, a quest to vanquish in the name of good and a whimsical cast, perhaps this is a contemporary nod to Norton Juster's THE PHANTOM TOOLBOOTH featuring a female protagonist (and how timely, with a 50th Anniversary Edition and an Annotated Edition out and about?)...excepting, September has an enthusiastic spirit all her own, falling in line with the best of the Practical Princesses and other more liberated girls who have wandered--or wended--their way into fairy tales. Smart, lovely, sensory, descriptive language, too, with plenty of vocabulary that means what it says and says what they mean (bedraggled shoes, dense bread), always exciting and never dumb (just like good old William Steig used to do...how about BRAVE IRENE? ). Isn't it perfect when an author has a high regard for, um....words? And girls? Helps a lot. (11 and up)

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TROUBLEMAKER (FICTION)

2011-09-13T17:03:00.000-05:00

Book du Jour:

TROUBLEMAKER by Andrew Clements (Scholastic)

What could be more exciting than a new title from the master of realistic school fiction? A poignant story about how difficult it can be to turn over a new leaf once a reputation for mischief is imprinted upon the mind of teachers and classmates. I have a feeling that Sahara would like this book. (9 and up)

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More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

HORNBOOKS AND INKWELLS (NONFICTION)

2011-09-07T21:01:00.001-05:00

Book du Jour:

HORNBOOKS AND INKWELLS by Verla Kay, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Putnam)

A trip to an 18th-century one-room schoolhouse in a book, through the magic of terse verse and good-humored pictures! How about wearing neck yokes for punishment, or ice-skating at recess, or bathroom in the outhouse? Yeesh, makes young 'uns today look rather milquetoast. The terse verse is brought to life through the good-humored, detailed drawings, fittingly fettered with straight lines. Let's write "we love Schindler's mannered illustrations" 100 times, in our best handwriting. A perfect preface for another historical schoolroom story, Avi's THE SECRET SCHOOL, in which a fourteen-year old girl in 1925 gets to work behind the teacher's desk, or Laura Ingall's Wilder's amazing depiction of 19th century school life in LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRAIRIE. You tell your readers, "When I was a kid, I had to walk two miles uphill in a snowstorm to get to school to read these books, and you get to take the bus to the library!" That'll learn 'im. (8 and up)

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WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU

2011-08-26T20:11:00.008-05:00

POETRY
WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin (Henry Holt)

All right. So far in the past year or so I've seen GUYKU, DOGKU, WABI SABI and THE HOUND DOG'S HAIKU, and the hard-to-find A CAT NAMED HAIKU, and I like checking book reviews on EmilyReads (try that for a book report!), all amicable thematic treatments of the 5-7-5 poetic syllabic form that is haiku, but plentiful offerings all the same, so I hope you will excuse me if I wondered if this latest had anything new and worthwhile to add. Mee-wow, what sets this one apart is its lovely story arc, as a mysterious Siamese is adopted from an animal shelter and undergoes the indignity of being named:

Won Ton? How can I

be soup? Some day, I'll tell you

my real name. Maybe.

After this feline stretches and claws his way most fetchingly across the pages, deciding inconstantly whether to be in and out of dresses (or yards or cars or under the couch), leaving presents in shoes and finding resting places in socks and on tummies, the pet's real name is revealed; one we should have guessed all along. In a few short pages and in shorter lines, the author and illustrator conspire to create a strong characterization of what starts out as a cat and ends as a member of the family. By the last page, this pet is bonded both to his owner and to us, his readers. What started out as "not another cat book!" ended with "this is not just another cat book," a unique addition to a collection and an excellent storytime read-aloud to boot. (6 and up)

With the plethora of haiku books available and the propensity for teachers to let students try the format on for size, please also do consider sharing Demi's biographical picture book GRASS SANDALS: THE TRAVELS OF BASHO, and COOL MELONS, TURN TO FROGS! THE LIFE AND POEMS OF ISSA by Matthew Golub, illustrated by Kazuko Stone (more of Issa's poems in TODAY AND TODAY illustrated by G. Brian Karas), lest we forget that the format, while short, is far from flippant, requiring a concerted attunement to nature and a thoughtful economy of words that represents real craft.

Also of interest:

Remember, every month can be poetry month! Here are more excellent poetry books with a sense of play.

LEMONADE AND OTHER POEMS SQUEEZED FROM A SINGLE WORD by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Nancy Doniger (Roaring Brook)
This book promises "part anagram, part rebus, part riddle," and delivers, by inventively rearranging letters from one potent word to create a whole poem:

"Moonlight"

hot
night

thin
light

moth
in
motion

or how about "Spaghetti?"

papa
has
a
pasta
appetite

he
eats
heaps

Wait, wait, one more! "Television!"

set
is
on

I
sit

Each page depicts the letters falling down the page a la cousin to the concrete poem (see Paul Janeczko's A POKE IN THE I for more on that), inviting the reader to decode the clever text which is clearly revealed with minimalist force on the following page. Not since the board game Scrabble or Marilyn Singer's MIRROR MIRROR: A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE has there been such a fresh squeeze on language, and with over twenty examples, how can we resist trying our own? Maybe using the word "September" for a first day start? Or "Homework?" (All right, maybe not homework.) (7 and up)

A LITTLE BITTY MAN AND OTHER POEMS FOR THE VERY YOUNG by Halfdan Rasmussen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Candlewick) Published post-mortem by the award-winning Danish children's poet, how can I not recommend a book of verse with the kind of joyful lilt that I imagine would have been right at home in Margaret Wise Brown's classroom collection? A bit more fanciful, though...for example, "The Elf":

The elf puts on his winter coat

and puts his winter hat on,

finds a muffler for his throat

in his drawer--puts that on,

packs his pockets full of mice

and then, before he goes,

puts on a empty ice-cream cone

to insulate his nose.

and lines from the title poem, "A Little Bitty Man":

The little bitty man

bought a little bitty house

for a little bit of little bitty money.

The little bitty lady

grew very, very big

with a little bitty baby in her tummy.

Hawkes' illustrations, wonderful and jocular as ever (WESLANDIA, LIBRARY LION), might unfortunately be just a wee bit visually small and detailed to be considered a perfect developmental match for "the very young" to which the book is ascribed (see Polly Dunbar's broader strokes and bigger pages in Jane Yolen's HERE'S A LITTLE POEM: A VERY FIRST BOOK OF POETRY to know what I mean), but this book still is perfectly endearing on its own terms. It offers invigoration to a tired nursery rhyme repertoire, works well for laptime, and has both a visual and verbal humor throughout with room to grow into, even if you are an itty bitty boy or girl. (3 and up)

LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE by Julie Sternberg, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (Amulet)
When Bibi the babysitter has to move away from her job in order to care for her ailing father in Florida, it represents a major loss for Eleanor, who has counted on her all her life. Starting a school year and transitioning into many more new relationships is part of growing up, Eleanor discovers, as is letting go...at least a little bit. Cordell, (no relation and with an "R" in his name) is always an illustrator to watch, and uses line drawings as direct as Eleanor's emotions. There is a clarity and honesty in everything about this book, and children, even if the situation is not one they share, will appreciate the gravity with which Eleanor's situation is treated, and the high note of hope on which the story ends.. Meanwhile,we in the market can appreciate a thematically-appropriate tome for pre-teen readers (thank you very much, more, please!).

Okay, here's what I don't exactly "get." My brilliant high school English teacher advised us once that good prose should read in parts like poetry, as if it could be broken down into lines. There are a lot of narratives that are formatted into lines of poetry (REACHING FOR THE SUN, JAKE AND MINN), and LIKE PICKLE JUICE, too, is one. My question is, if my English teacher was right (as she has always been so far), then why? Why don't the authors just tell a prosaic tale with lines that read like poetry? When is a realistic story suddenly compelled into the arrangement of free verse? Is it just a feeling? What would be lost by more conventional structure on a page? What makes poetry poetry? Perhaps there is no right answer, but that, mes amis, is a worthwhile discussion... another teachable moment offered by this sensitive book. (8 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

CINNAMON BABY (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-05-01T19:36:00.001-05:00

PICTURE BOOK
CINNAMON BABY by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by Janice Nadeau (Kids Can Press)

LOVE love love love LOVE love LOOOVE, what could be more romantic than a family? And that's exactly what comes about after Sebastian the violinist falls for Miriam the baker. But alas, for all the affection in the family house, their baby won't stop crying like crazy. It isn't until Mama Miriam bakes every loaf in the cookbook that the baby recognizes the warm and sugary-sweet smell remembered from time spent cooking in the oven of the womb. Collage and curlicued watercolor lines wend through the pages, graceful as filigree. The illustration of all three cozied up on a family bed, and Miriam wandering worried (and maybe a little embarrassed?) on a walk while the baby's wails inspire the opening of umbrellas to protect from tears, are recognizable and human. Descriptions of Miriam's bounty ("She made a spicy bread, studded with little peppercorns and basil, and a sweet bread with ginger. She made a light, white loaf with dill, and a crusty brown one with sunflower seeds and honey") add to the feeling of warmth and plenty that abound in these pages. Romantic and readable, this pretty pick is a stand-out also because of its natural depiction of a bi-racial family in the context of a story that any child can enjoy. What a treat. (4 and up)

Also of interest:

More fun with baked goods.

THE BLUEBERRY PIE ELF by Jane Thayer, illustrated by Seymour Fleischman (Purple House Press)

It is so delicious when a vintage children's book is properly reprinted. First published in 1959, we are allowed to revisit the magical story of an invisible elf who savors a bite of a family's blueberry pie, but has no way to ask for seconds. Hoping beyond hope that they will be encouraged to bake another one, he tries helping around the house, to no avail. When the family sets out less desirable cherry and apple pies, the poor elf can barely contain his disappointment. But with a little help from the tracks he leaves from his tiny elfin shoes, after tasting lesser pies, he realizes what all good readers know: writing can make all the difference. The elf is gracious through all of his frustrations, and if you have a taste for a story is sweet and straightforward, this is a little slice of heaven. (4 and up)

THE BAKE SHOP GHOST by Jacqueline Ogburn, illustrated by Marjorie A. Priceman (Houghton Mifflin)

Cora Lee Merriweather bakes such delicious pies and cakes, her bake shop customers are willing to forgive the fact that every bit of sweetness seems to go into her work. When mean Madame Merriweather finally gives up the ghost, that's all she's willing to give up. As a prankish poltergeist, she successfully drives away anyone who seeks to inhabit her former kitchen, but when former cruise ship pastry chef Annie Washington rents the storefront, it is going to take more than a little flying flour to drive her out. When Annie finally asks what she can do for Cora Lee to settle her spirit, she says, "Make me a cake so rich and so sweet, it will fill me up and bring tears to my eyes. A cake like the one I might have baked, but no one ever made for me." Will Annie spend the rest of her life trying to bake this magical cake, or will she find the bittersweet ingredient that will free them both? Superb storytelling and ebullient illustrations are a recipe for read-aloud in this perfectly delicious ghost story about empathy and cooperation. (7 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

QUEEN OF THE FALLS (NONFICTION)

2011-04-05T21:16:00.001-05:00

NONFICTION
QUEEN OF THE FALLS by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin)
The talented illustrator who has brought us classics like THE POLAR EXPRESS and JUMANJI does not churn them out, but rather, delivers a gem every few years. In a departure from his usual fantastical fare, Van Allsburg turns his attention to a biographical story in which truth is stranger than fiction. In 1901, Annie Edison Taylor, a 62-year-old marm at a charm school, found her financial resources depleting and without any prospects for her old age. Fearing the poorhouse, she devises a daredevil stunt that verged on madness: to be the first to go over the drop of Niagara Falls in a barrel of her own special design, and then reap the benefits of subsequent fame on a tour circuit. But between nefarious managers and onlookers who are disappointed that Annie is more grandma than glamor-girl, the bumpy trip down the mountain of water is not all Annie will have to survive.

Van Allsburg's signature nostalgic sepia or black-and-grey pencil lines are especially befitting the turn-of-the-century feel, and the startlingly detailed expressions of the people are haunting and tell another story of a thousand words, hearkening back to his prowess in POLAR EXPRESS, each pose begging the question: what are they thinking? (Though I couldn't help wondering if a woman as modest as Annie would have appreciated Van Allsburg's uncomely depictions of her and her petticoats a-flying as she tumbled inside her barrel.) The double-paged spread of the vessel teetering at the fall's edge is genuinely suspenseful, and will literally have readers holding their breath. In turns fascinating and exciting, this outstanding read-aloud book captures the roiling falls and all of its harrowing height, but also the poignancy of the decision of this unlikely adventurer; from the lie Annie tells about her age that nobody really believes, her understated reply of "all righty" when the barrel is about to be cut from its rope and swept into the rapids, the injustices she suffers after the fall, and the pensive interview she gives to a reporter toward the end of her life, after musing over a memory of being a child and staring at the falls:

"I stood here with my father, in this very spot. I'd never seen anything like that waterfall. It looked like the end of the world, dreadful and beautiful, all at once. My father took my hand and asked if I was frightened. I told him I was, then asked if we could get closer...That's what everyone wonders when they see Niagara...How close will their courage let them get to it? Well, sir, you can't get any closer than I got."

Be sure to share this unusual piece of history with middle elementary children and ask why Annie made the decisions she did, because with an aging population, a suffering economy and lack of public health care, this book about an event a hundred years ago is sure to inspire some timely discussion today. It seems that growing older may be the bravest trick of all. Author video and general info about the falls here. (8 and up)

Also of interest:
SUNNY BOY!: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A TORTOISE by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (Farrar Straus Giroux)

When you live as long as a tortoise lives, you can expect a few owners. Sunny Boy lived as the pet of several agreeable, docile domesticators: a horticulturalist, a philatelist and a scholar, but ultimately falls into the hands of a daredevil bent on taking Sunny Boy with him on a descent over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Will he ever survive to live out his days in the lap of the little girl in the museum library to whom he feels more suitably matched? Based on actual, if unfortunate events (articulated beautifully in "The Truth Behind the Tale," an author's note at the story's finale), this genial and surprising story demonstrates a love of life, even with all its unexpected twists, turns, losses and leaks. (7 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

FLESH & BLOOD SO CHEAP (NONFICTION)

2011-03-01T16:47:00.002-06:00

FLESH & BLOOD SO CHEAP: THE TRIANGLE FIRE AND ITS LEGACY by Albert Marrin (Knopf, 2011)

In these pages, we follow the arrival of 19th century immigrants past the Statue of Liberty and into the ghettos of New York City, where some would find employment with the notorious Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Demonstrations to draw attention to poor working conditions failed; protesters were beaten down and then returned to work, only to have their complaints written into the annals of history in a fire where one hundred and forty-six unfortunate workers lost their lives in most terrible ways. A plethora of maps, photographs, primary source materials and related sidelines (such as autobiographical material about Jacob Riis, and "sweatshop steps in making a cotton garment") bring the past to life, offering a steady flow of historical detail that emphasize the humanity of the situation and keep the topic from becoming solely a sensational retelling of a disaster ("the story of the Triangle fire is not the story of one accidental moment in time. It is the story of immigration and the hard work necessary to make it in a new country..."). The text is generous in an amount that may be overwhelming for some readers, but the columnar layout makes it more manageable, and the material is engaging, told in almost a play-by-play fashion that pulls no punches, with conversational, age-appropriate explanations throughout. With the hundredth anniversary of the fire upon us on March 25th (and a PBS program already aired), this book does great honor to the ghosts of that tragedy, and while it is a serious subject for young readers, it is worth keeping in mind that child labor is their history, too. Notes and index are included; the care that went into the book's creation is clearly scholarly. If you know a young reader interested in the subject, this book is the most thorough, and if you know any child interested in the history of the American people, this book is most outstanding. (10 and up)

Also of interest:

No doubt, the kiddies are hearing the word "union" and "strike" bandied about more than usual these days, the news buzzing about Wisconsin state workers' recent demonstrations against Governor Scott Walker. Here's a pick that helps children to understand what a strike and a union are, in the context of children's history!

KID BLINKS BEATS THE WORLD by Don Brown (Roaring Brook)

In 1899, it was not uncommon for boys to work as "newsies," peddling the consignment copies of newspapers published by millionaires Hearst and Pulitzer. When those magnates decided to charge an extra penny against their workers' wages, this was more than the little boys could bear. "I'm trying to figure how ten cents on a hundred papers can mean more to a millionaire than it does to newsboys," Kid Blink tried to figure. "If they can't spare it, how can we?" So begins the wa r between the newsies and the moguls, and a war it is, complete with protests, battles, leaders and ploys, many led by surprisingly articulate and earnest children. Peppery dialects and sobering history help to bring this early union battle to life in sepia tones. You wouldn't go wrong to share every one of Don Brown's wonderful picture book biographies with children, always affecting, but this one packs a special punch. Youths of our day will surely be inspired by Kid Blink's righteous indignation and awed by his bravery…can you imagine a child speaking his heart to a mob of five thousand? It was done. (6 and up)

Also, check out COUNTING ON GRACE by Elizabeth Winthrop (Dell Yearling). If you are into American history at all, you know the photograph: a weary young girl standing in front of rows of bobbins, a smock askew, hair pulled up, leaning on one elbow, a child pausing from her twelve hour workday. This moment captured in black and white by artist, social reformer and advocate Lewis Hine was the inspiration for Elizabeth Winthrop's latest historical novel.

Grace and her best friend Arthur are forced to leave school to work in a mill, replacing full bobbins with empty ones. Grace is glad to have the chance to earn some extra pennies for her family, who depend on this contribution for their very survival. When a teacher encourages the children to write a letter of complaint to the National Labor Committee, Grace understands that outcomes of such an action could put her family in terrible jeopardy. Arthur, however, cannot bear the conditions in the mill. He sees opportunity in education and he is willing to do anything to get it, even if it means purposely mangling his hand in a machine. It seems the work of Lewis Hine has come too late for some. The experiences of the people around her, however painful, lead Grace to make a stunning choice about the path of her own life.

There are so many strong points about this novel. One is the tension. We care about all the characters, and every one of their choices reverberates in the lives of those they love. It is a powerful thing to read, as a child, the impact of decisions upon others in ways we don't expect. The situations, though painful, are done realistically, and convey the conflict of child labor so very powerfully in the context of the character's place and time. Which brings us to the research, which lends both believability and flavor to the prose and does just what good historical fiction should do: carry us away, make us feel as if we are there. The inclusion of Lewis Hine as a character in the story will lead children to delve deeper, in books like KIDS AT WORK: LEWIS HINE AND THE HISTORY OF CHILD LABOR by Russell Freedman (Clarion) and KIDS ON STRIKE! by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Houghton Mifflin). And the last great feat of this book is voice, which she has given to this Vermont farmgirl faced with the need to do the right thing in the face of contradictions. If you enjoyed the bold candor of the period writing in Jennifer Holm's OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, you will love Grace's genial, colloquial point of view as well. I'm very excited for author Elizabeth Winthrop, who gained acclaim for her unique mix of fantasy and historical fiction (CASTLE IN THE ATTIC). With over fifty books under her belt, her work is stronger than ever. This is a special contribution to the shelves of children's literature, and offers children a first-person view into history that could have been them, in another place and time. (10 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

A DONKEY READS (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-02-28T12:56:00.005-06:00

PICTURE BOOK
A DONKEY READS by Muriel Mandell, illustrated by André Letria (Star Bright, 2011)

A tyrannical Mongol leader demands tribute from all the residents of an Anatolian village, but one poor family fears their only possible offering, the family donkey, may inspire insult. Indeed, the despot flies off the handle with the first hee-haw, but is placated by the village wise man, Nasreddin Hoca, who insists that the donkey's "intelligent eyes" indicate that he can be taught to read. By feeding the donkey barley between the pages of the book, he manages a most clever trick that hopefully will save the hides of the unfortunate clan. This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys a good trickster tale, or as a stand-out to add to the increasingly expanding children's bookshelf on the theme of reading (recently: DOG LOVES BOOKS by Louise Yates, THE WONDERFUL BOOK by Leonid Gore, READ TO TIGER by S.J. Fore, and the deservedly popular HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ by Tad Hills). Thickly painted illustrations have heft and are extremely expressive, and add a lighthearted dimension to a suspenseful folktale. Smart, funny, provocative and inimitably surprising, this legend of Nasreddin Hoca has survived over seven hundred years, and with good reason; it is as much of a pleasure to share today as it must have been centuries ago. (5 and up)

Also of interest:

Just getting to know Nasreddin, the Aesop of Turkey? Try this one, too:

THE HUNGRY COAT by Demi (McElderberry) Nasrettin (spelling variation) is invited to dinner, but is rudely shunned by guests and host alike. Could it be his shabby attire? He slips away, returning in magnificent garb, and is welcomed warmly. When served his dinner, though, he proceeds to feed his coat! There is a lesson about appearances hidden in the lining of Nasrettin's strange behavior, one that readers will not likely soon forget. The great Islamic folk hero and champion of common sense gets his due in Demi's signature style: small, jeweled figures surrounded by swirling borders and motifs and touched with gold. This serious topic is told with good humor and cleverness, making this a sensational read-aloud that every child (and grown-up) will benefit from hearing, and one that will whet readers' appetites for even more of Nasrettin's timeless fables. (6 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

I'M NOT (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-02-17T20:35:00.002-06:00

PICTURE BOOK
I'M NOT by Pam Smallcomb, illustrated by Robert Weinstock (Schwartz & Wade, 2011)

If Evelyn was a book, you'd read her all night under the covers to see what happens next...
When Evelyn comes over, she changes my room, my scales, my worm.
She's a wonderful decorator. I'm not...
Evelyn is lots of things.
Circus performer.
I'm not.
Antarctic explorer.
I'm not.
Queen of England.
I'm not...I'm not...I'm not.

This book focuses realistically (as you can be with amphibians wearing hair bows) and hilariously on a little alligator girl's quest to discover what she might possibly be that could shine alongside the many talents and feats of her companion, feeling rather inadequate all the while. Luckily, the narrator is something Evelyn can't be: a true blue friend for Evelyn, and the last pages sing: "I am! I am! I am!" At first, I was a little lukewarm about the wan, poop-colored cover, but once a few pages were turned, it only added to the humor; stylistically, somebody read a lot of James Marshall. A natural part of child development is discovering what you're good at (or not), and many children going through that self-deprecating stage, or prone to unnecessary comparisons with peers, will discover some very heartening perspective within these pages. Stop laughing? I'm not. (5 and up)

Also of interest:

The other side of the coin? Well-meaning but only partial redemption of a picture book narcissist may be found in Lucy Cousin's I'M THE BEST, in which a doggy has to find a balance between his own self-esteem and a recognition of what's best about his buddies, a bit of a throwback to Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Kay Chorao's 1970's gold star picture book, I'M TERRIFIC, in which a little bear rewards himself prolifically for his greatness, while his friends struggle to get him in check.

Speaking of terrific, and if you like these kind of themes, are you familiar with one of my new favorite blogs, BOOKS THAT HEAL KIDS? I am not a fan of bibliotherapy per se, as I consider all well-written children's books to be character-building, and I am fearful about navigating through shelves of books written with issues in mind instead of children. But to my hesitation, this site says too-shay! I can't resist these thoughtful and sensitive selections, so brilliantly reviewed. Check it out!

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

JUST BEING AUDREY (NONFICTION)

2011-02-12T19:17:00.000-06:00

NONFICTION
JUST BEING AUDREY by Margaret Cardillo, illustrated by Julia Denos (Balzer & Bray, 2011)

Her mother reminded her that there were more important things than fame..."You must always be kind."

Talk about a duckling growing into a swan! From Audrey Hepburn's childhood beginnings as a gawky girl in ballet class, hiding with family during WWII, to her adventures in acting (meeting the author Colette and cast as Gigi, and landing a role in Roman Holiday), to her other roles in life as a mother and as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, the life of a woman who knew how to be her own unique brave and endearing self is laid out to inspire a whole new generation. I am simply beside myself over the illustrations as lovely as a 1950's back-issue of Vogue; the double-page spread of Audreys all bedeckled in beautiful vintage Hollywood fashion from Funny Face to Breakfast at Tiffany's to My Fair Lady is sure to elicit groans of admiration, and the high-spirited smile Audrey wears as she dons one scarf four different ways is utterly contagious. The illustrator's style is spry, carrying us easily across the whirlwind timeline and aging our pixie queen most gracefully. While the fashionista that is Audrey is undeniable in these pages, the biography is not shallow, sharing insights and highlights of a real life and bringing it around nicely at the end, with a collection of sweet modern-day girls emulating her style. All I can say is: more! More! More! Gene Kelly biography next, please...and thank you. (6 and up)

Also of interest:

In Audrey Hepburn's honor, a clip from Funny Face, accompanied by Kay Thompson (who is also the author of Eloise):

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

FORTUNE COOKIES (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-02-06T13:49:00.000-06:00

FORTUNE COOKIES by Albert Bitterman, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Beach Lane, 2011)

On Monday my fortune said: Money is like the wind.
And guess what?
I found a dollar under my pillow!
On Tuesday my fortune said: Try to find the good with the bad.
And guess what?
I lost my kite, but...I found a cat.

A week's worth of fortune cookies tell a homey story with a happily every after and a twist at the end. Pull tabs add interest to the concept, allowing each fortune to be tugged from it's fold, and the Caldecott-winning illustrator is in top form, with tight, boxy packaging nicely framing Raschka's wide-brush flourishes. Children's lit enthusiasts may recognize the name Al Bitterman as the author of the snarky and insightful reviews coming out of Reading Reptile, pretty much the greatest children's bookstore in the country. Bitterman is the pseudonym of the mighty Pete Cowdin, one of the store's owners, a guy who really knows what children like to read. He proved it by his inventory, and now, he proves it in his own book. Of course, there are tons of teacher-ly extensions: Chinese New Year, DIY fortune cookies where children write their own forecasts (haiku fortune cookies work nicely for National Poetry Month), or just a fun storytime with a treat at the end. Not since a cootie-catcher has telling the future been so much fun. Your fortune: Good books lead to good readers. You take it from there. (4 and up)

Also of interest:

I see a storytime in your future.

FORTUNE COOKIE FORTUNES by Grace Lin (Knopf) Isn't it funny how fortunes always seem to come true? After dinner at a Chinese restaurant, an observant little girl notices how the slip in each relative's cookie matches their circumstance. Lest we forget that this award-winning author (WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, THE YEAR OF THE DOG, LING AND TING, NOT EXACTLY THE SAME!) is also a proficient illustrator, the pictures are particularly eye-catching, brilliant in color and featuring double-paged spreads with fetching patterned backgrounds. The story ends with some real history of the fortune cookie with its Asian inspiration and American birth, and an illustration of one split apart in the reader's honor: "you have just read a good book." Yummy! (5 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

BROWNIE GROUNDHOG AND THE FEBRUARY FOX (PICTURE BOOK)

2011-01-27T21:41:00.003-06:00

PICTURE BOOK

BROWNIE GROUNDHOG AND THE FEBRUARY FOX by Susan Blackaby, illustrated by Carmen Segovia (Sterling, 2011)

"Don't be silly," said Brownie, wiggling free. "You're too late for breakfast."
"Really?" the fox frowned. "What about lunch?"
"Too early," said Brownie. "You'll just have to wait."
"I hate waiting," said the fox.
"I know what you mean," said Brownie.

A friendship is hard-won as a groundhog moves from prey to precious in the eyes of a hungry fox. Having come out into the open to check his shadow, Brownie is pounced upon by a novice predator who is easily talked out of and tricked out of a meal. When Brownie finally manages to tie the fox to a tree with a red scarf, maybe the fox has learned his lesson, or at least, Brownie's suffered from some mild form of Stockholm Syndrome. What is freaky and ultimately irresistible about this book is the animals, for all of their human banter, are really quite animal-like, sweet and stupid and aggressive in turns...and always down for a good meal. Wintry illustrations with a thoughtful limited palette of burnt umber, white and blue paint are both pretty and fun to look at, featuring figures that mix postures both people-like and very, very canine. Above all, there is something very direct and naturalistic about this story, and children will appreciate the honesty of that bite.

Also of interest:
A ridiculous amount of Groundhog Day books here.

And if you'd like more fox-on-animal action, tune into DON'T FIDGET A FEATHER by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Aladdin), an exciting and laugh-out-loud tale of a "freeze-in-place" contest between a very competitive Gander and Duck that goes dangerously awry when a hungry fox shows up. Move, Gander, move!!! The message is clear: sometimes there's something more important at stake then winning. I like a book that impels children to scream really loudly while you read, that means it's a good story. Wear your earplugs.

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

ON THE EVE OF THE CALDECOTT/NEWBERY AWARDS

2011-01-09T22:44:00.004-06:00

Throughout the world of children's literature comes the call: "Who? WHO? Whoooooo?" No, it it is not a forest full of owls, it is the community of librarians, teachers and kidlit enthusiasts all wondering who will take the coveted ALA/ALSC Library Media Awards, the Caldecott for best American children's book illustration, the Newbery for best children's book writing, and a bevy of other significant commendations (Sibert for non-fiction, Coretta Scott King and Pura Belpre Awards for African American and Latino/Latina children's lit, Theodore Geisel for early readers). These are better known the "Oscars" of Children's Literature (and even better known as "Day of Disappointment" for 99.9% of author/illustrators, but oh, well). You can view the webcast live tomorrow at 7:45 San Diego time (that's 9:45 to you, Midwesterners, and 10:45, East Coast). Who is going to take the silver and gold? Please forgive some informal musing to follow...

The horse race for the Newbery points toward THE DREAMER by Pam Munoz Ryan, a piece of magical realism that depicts the childhood of poet Pablo Neruda, backed by the ethereal art of Caldecott winner Peter Sis...

and ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia, the sensitively told story of a girl in the late 1960's whose mother is involved in the Black Panther movement.

Perfectly deserving recipients and original reads, both, but I am still laying some coins down on a few dark horses. There are other worthy contenders with middle grade readerships who could take it, each using history to tune in to the readership of today, excellent books that will speak to children in this economy. Namely, THE YEAR MONEY GREW ON TREES by Aaron Hawkins (Houghton Mifflin), a lively story set in the Great Depression about a family who tries to survive by starting their own apple orchard. Then there is TO COME AND GO LIKE MAGIC by Katie Pickard Fawcett (Knopf), set in 1970's Appalachia in which Chili Sue Mahoney longs to see the world outside of Kentucky, and finds herself living vicariously through her teacher. Then there is the little gem PALACE BEAUTIFUL by Sarah DeFord Williams (Putnam) with an unfortunately non-Newbery looking cover and already in paperback (ye of little faith), but inside is the poignant-with-a-capital-P story of a girl who finds a journal of a girl suffering through the flu epidemic of 1918, and finds the worlds of then and now converging; short and sweet, this is the most unassuming heavyweight contender read since Patricia MacLachlan's SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL. You heard it here first.

On to the Caldecotts. All eyes and runny noses are on A SICK DAY FOR AMOS McGEE by Philip and Erin Stead (Roaring Brook, reviewed here), a perfectly respectable choice, if a bit old-skool (but don't we love old skool?)...

and illustrator John Muth, coupled with our golden boy (or rather, golden man) Mo Willems in the role of author, for CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG, which is pretty darn timeless and will probably take it...

but that can't stop me from rooting for some love to go to G. Brian Karas's artwork in CLEVER JACK TAKES THE CAKE, done with Candace Fleming, two talented children's book workhorses who also deserve recognition.

Luckily for American illustrators, Jeannie Baker (MIRROR) is from Australia and Suzy Lee (SHADOW) is from Singapore, or my oh my, with respect I have to say they would have given this year's crop a run for their money.

These awards are meant to represent the excellence of the larger whole, and so books like these will probably get awards: BALLET FOR MARTHA: MAKING APPALACHIAN SPRING, for instance; Susan Campbell Bartoletti's brave and well-researched THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE K.K.K.; Sharon Draper's gotten lots of buzz for her novel OUT OF MY MIND; if David Weisner has any more room on his shelf for more prizes, he might take it for ART & MAX; and BINK AND GOLLY is a shoo-in for a Geisel (who can resist Kate DiCamillo matching wits with Alison McGhee, coupled with David Fucile's work that is as fun as any television cartoon?). Yes, I am a librarian, and I can recognize the distinguished qualities of some books. But as a teacher librarian for elementary school kids, I have my own favorites based on what works well in classrooms...I look for distinguished books with a pragmatic edge. Marilyn Singer's MIRROR, MIRROR for sheer inventiveness. Laura Amy Schlitz's THE NIGHT FAIRY, short and action-packed, a perfect read-aloud. THE DARK EMPEROR, so handsome, DOTTY, so wise. I guess works like THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA and BENJAMIN FRANKLINSTEIN LIVES! are too base and funny to win, but by golly, how funny are they, and will anyone recognize with gold how truly hard it is to write something that funny, and how very very very much children want to read something that is that funny? And these awards do mean these books will be bought by the thousands and put into probably more classrooms, even, than libraries, and children will be assigned to read them...so I guess my wish is that whoever wins, let it be books that kids really like. That's why I so appreciate lists like The Allen County Public Library Mock Newbery and Mock Caldecott (impeccable taste always, by the way, my own nominations notwithstanding; this year, they chose NINTH WARD by Jewell Parker Rhodes for the Newbery, and mentioned the great wordless CHALK by Bill Thomson as a worthy Caldecott contender), and the mighty Cybils, chosen by children's book bloggers across the kidlitosphere, always an eclectic list that offers so many opportunities to connect so many readers. Our own PlanetEsme Picks will be posted this month, the best of 2010. I love lists more than prizes. Motto: the more the merrier...in friends, in dishes on a table, in cookies in a jar, and in books.

What books did you really like this year? Who do you predict will win, and who has already won your heart? Please share in the comments section this week. One lucky winner chosen at random will get a signed copy of my new book, FAIRLY FAIRY TALES. That way, tomorrow, any way it goes, I can be assured someone I really like will win something.

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR and HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO ME!

2011-01-08T14:06:00.003-06:00

Talk about getting off on the right foot, early January marks the release of my own picture book, FAIRLY FAIRY TALES (Aladdin, 2011).

The inspiration for this book started with an experience I had reading aloud Paul Galdone's CAT GOES FIDDLE-I-FEE to preschoolers, in the style taught to me by my former boss and mentor Andy Laties. I hold up the book, where there is clearly a picture of a duck, and carelessly say it is a picture of a tractor, or a pizza, or a rhinoceros, or a pair of underpants. The children immediately correct/chide me. "Nooooooooo!" What fun to correct dumb grown-ups! Later, when I was working on a book about preschool, I visited a classroom to brainstorm about what should go in it, and remembered this tack. I showed them a bunch of pictures of things that might be in a classroom, such as blocks, a sand table, chairs, and...a Tyrannosaurus Rex. "Nooooooo!" cried all the children, except for one boy, a literalist, who promptly went to the toy box and pulled out a seven-inch plastic dinosaur. "Well, maybe," I had to concede. We were off and running. Space alien? Well, maybe, if one landed from Saturn. Cupcake? Well, maybe, if it were somebody's birthday and someone's mom brought them in. "Noooooo" is mighty fun. But the idea of possibility...the "well, maybe!" of it all...that's even funnerer. And that's the spirit I tried to put in this book, which was originally titled Well, Maybe (until the marketers thought, well, maybe something else).

A little boy has a pile of story books that he wants his mother to share at bedtime, but her reading seems a bit off. For instance, take The Three Little Pigs. Straw? Yes. Sticks? Yes. Bricks? Yes. Solar panels? Nooooooooo!

Turn the page and...Well, maybe.

Elisa Chavarri

And so it goes. Red Riding Hood has a basket and a wolf and a grandmother, but can she have a bottle of shampoo? Well, maybe. Goldilocks has porridge and bears and a bed, but can she have a television set? Well, maybe. Maybe Jack of beanstalk fame can have some spaghetti, maybe Hansel and Gretel may have a candy-filled pinata...but my favorite is Cinderella. She can have a fairy godmother and a coach and glass slippers, but can she have a disco ball? She can indeed, shaped like a glittering mosaic pumpkin, and her glass slippers are even 70's style, with goldfish in the heels. The text is minimal, but oh-la-la, I could not have asked for more in an illustrator than I found in the great Elisa Chavarri, whose work I first saw in SANTA GOES GREEN. I never met her and we never spoke directly in the process of making the book, as is customary in publishing. She just went ahead and did what every picture book author dreams an illustrator will do: she ran with it, not just visually narrating the text but adding to it, creating two voices for the one song, both hers and mine. I could not have wished for a more inventive, colorful, and beautiful execution. She is totally the star. The review periodical Kirkus said: "Her brightly colored...artwork is full of so many funny details that children will find something new with each re-reading. This will certainly keep kids on their toes as they try to guess what is coming--no maybes about that." Though my favorite review so far came from artist Tom Lichtenheld (DUCK! RABBIT! and SHARK VS. TRAIN), who quipped that it looked "like a classic Golden Book, updated." Sigh! What could be better than that?

I am proud that, with the collaboration of our editor Emily, we have created a reading experience that will encourage audience participation, because that's how it was conceived. I am also delighted that we can reinforce folkloric knowledge and divergent thinking in the zaniest of ways through this book. But it's naughty, naughty, naughty to review one's own book, so I'll stop and now I'll leave that to you, or, more credibly, the intended audience: your children. Enjoy!

Also of interest:

As the calendar begins anew, check out these picks that take children on a ride from January to December. My go-to has been the classic OVER AND OVER by Charlotte Zolotow and illustrated by Garth Williams (the artist behind CHARLOTTE'S WEB), because I like a book that doesn't hurry along, and I can never get over the beautiful saturation of Williams' paint printed into the paper. But I lean toward the old-fashioned, and modern children have more choices for exploring the cycle of the year. Try:

ALL AROUND THE SEASONS by Barney Saltzberg (Candlewick, 2010), a chummy, cheerful rhyme that covers all the seasons, with generous cartoon illustrations and especially bright colors that capture everything from the pink of summer's watermelon to the cozy bronze light of a fall evening spent building a tent with chairs, blankets and a best friend. A really solid early childhood choice, children will recognize and look forward to all that's ahead in the year and in these pages.

A YEAR FULL OF HOLIDAYS by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Diana Cain Blumethal (Putnam, 2011) is the most visually slick and modern in mood of the picks, capturing the anticipation..and near impatience...of a little girl who can hardly wait from one birthday to the next. Luckily, there is plenty to celebrate in between, including a nifty stylized double-paged spread of a multicultural Thanksgiving dinner, the bright green of a St. Patrick's Day lawn, a sky full of Fourth of July fireworks, and a family framed in an Easter basket. Each month is a present to be opened...almost as good as a birthday party.

And have a look at SO MANY DAYS by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo (Atheneum, 2010), more of a loving ode to all a child can be and do in the vein of Dr. Seuss's OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! with the gentle affection of Sam McBratney's GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. Nicely paired with books that look forward to the year, this will help children get January off on a most optimistic note. McGhee's book features incredible print illustrations against a white backdrop that will appeal to fans of Jen Corace (LITTLE PEA). Yoo's artwork is available on etsy.com, and just check out this illustration to describe the text, "you are braver than you know."

(And you are, you know.) Happy New Year!

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

CLEVER JACK TAKES THE CAKE (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-12-30T07:34:00.004-06:00

PICTURE BOOK

CLEVER JACK TAKES THE CAKE by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Schwartz & Wade, 2010)
Jack is bringing a gift to the princess for her birthday, and he has it all planned out. Even though he’s broke, he’s going to make the best with what he has.

And that same mornning, he traded his ax for two bags of sugar, and his quilt for a sack of flour. He gave the hen an extra handful of seed in exchange for two fresh eggs, and he kissed the cow on the nose for a pail of her sweetest milk. He gathered walnuts. He dipped candles. And in the strawberry patch he searched…and searched…and searched until he found the reddest, juiciest, most succulent strawberry in all the land. “Delicious!” said Jack as he plucked it from its stem.

Wah-lah, all the ingredients for a perfect cake, with “princess” spelled out in walnuts, and away sets Jack for the castle, only to be hindered by four-and-twenty blackbirds, an ogre with a sweet tooth, a dark forest, a hungry dancing bear and a castle guard who informs him that the princess is allergic to strawberries. Finding himself at the front of the royal receiving line, what does Jack have left to give? A story of course, and one that knocks the princess’ royal socks off.

Candace Fleming is crazy versatile in her gift for writing, penning ambitious and well-researched historical nonfiction for kids (check out BEN FRANKLIN’S ALMANAC, THE LINCOLNS or my personal favorite, A BIG CHEESE IN THE WHITE HOUSE: THE TRUE TALE OF A TREMENDOUS CHEDDAR), picture books (like the clever and popular MUNCHA, MUNCHA, MUNCHA, done in collaboration with this same illustrator), a besides her special penchant for the historical, she has a flair for the folkloric (case in point: THE FABLED FOURTH GRADERS OF AESOP ELEMENTARY, which has a sequel, THE FABLED FIFTH GRADERS), proving she can juggle genres with the aplomb of the great Avi. But though all her books are consistently special, there is something especially flawless in this one, a chef d’oeuvre of sorts, even on an already heavy shelf of accomplishment. Her equally prolific illustrator, using his standard charming colored pencil and watercolor technique, has stepped up his game here, starting on the endpapers with a black cloud of foreboding forest and an almost romantic moonlit chat between the princess and Jack awaiting on the other side, with exciting variation of layout in between. Besides being a perfect marriage of text and art, this deceptively simple book is a pretty flawless read-aloud, inviting both attention and participation from the listener and should be a contender for the Geisel Award. It belongs on every child’s shelf, and is a must-have for starting fairy tale units and a sure-fire “read it again!” choice for the lap or the nap. Sweet and with just the right mix of storytime ingredients, just like a good cake, it rises to the occasion. (5 and up)

Also of interest:

Another fresh nursery-tale take!
3 LITTLE DASSIES by Jan Brett (Putnam, 2010)
Inspired by a visit to Namibia in Southern Africa, three little groundhog-meets-koala-like creatures build their houses of driftwood, grasses and rocks while an eagle with young to feed looks on hungrily in this Three Pigs take-off. Amazing textile patterns and signature borders and frames delicately decorated with native patterns and samples from nature are especially graceful and dynamic, even for Brett’s consistently detailed body of work. The debonair and gallant Agama Man (a lizard), happy to have new neighbors, adds a new dimension of drama as he rescues the two terrified dassie sisters while the third fights off their enemy. Packed with eyebrow-raising excitement, this beautiful book emanates and inspires respect and awe for the African landscape, and ends with a pourquoi-tale twist that brings the fanciful story back around to the real world, with a symbiotic relationship between dassies, agama and the black-feathered eagles. This book reads like a treasure-box collected from travel, and is well worth the trip. (5 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

DOTTY (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-12-01T17:05:00.002-06:00

PICTURE BOOK

DOTTY by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Julia Denos (Abrams)

“Where’s Keeko?” she asked.
“Ida!” scolded Katya. “That’s for babies.” She looked around, then whispered, “I still keep her in my pocket sometimes.”
With a laugh, Katya ran off. Ida chased after her.
Dotty tried to catch up, but the snow made it hard.

When Ida goes to school, she brings her imaginary friend Dotty with her, and it turns out that the classroom is populated with plenty of such companions. But as time passes, these partnerships dissipate, and Ida is stigmatized. All the same, she is not yet willing to say goodbye, Dotty being so very real to her in spite of what other people see. Only after a very poignant talk with her empathetic teacher is Ida able to loosen the leash on her pet, her own pedagogue proving that you don’t need to let go of the best parts of your imagination in order to carry on into the world of grown-ups.

Sometimes there comes a book that undermines any hope I could have of descriptive prowess and just sends me reeling into a repeating chorus of PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT! Oh my shelves, this is why you were built, let me put this on you and take it off again and again to see if it STILL makes me cry with each new reading, why YES IT DOES! Pardon my lack of decorum but my goodness, teachers certainly read a lot of books and it absolutely rattles the marrow to find one that “gets it” so 110%, one written with such a sense of surprise and real love, and one that so freshly suggests growing up is not necessarily about letting go, but about holding on with grace; a great message both for little people and the big people who share with them. Loose, lively, largely ink illustrations are very colorful and expressive, and manage the tricky realistic and the otherworldly dichotomy here. Do you still have what you imagine in your pocket, or on a long blue leash? Not since Margery Williams’ THE VELVETEEN RABBIT has a book said something been spoken so truly about the happy and sad of the nature of things being “real.” If there is a teacher or a child you like at all, please share this book with them, along with a very real hug. (6 and up)

Also of interest:

IN ENGLISH, OF COURSE by Josephine Nobisso, illustrated by Dasha Ziborova (Gingerbread House, 2003)

The members of Josephine's classroom all seem to come from somewhere else, and are called upon in turn to talk about where their families are from. But when it's Josephine's turn, she is not sure she has enough English under her belt to explain that her parents are architectural engineers from Napoli, Italy. Her limited language leads her into uncharted farm territory, where with the help of her teacher she is able to share an extravagant reminiscence about a cow, told with a lot of body language. This hilarious and honest book explores both the insides and the outsides of an extremely intelligent child who is just gathering the tools she needs to make herself understood. The splashy collage illustrations appropriately reflect the wild amounts of information that are being sorted through, along with the style and spirit of the story's heroine. ESL students and teachers will cheer here, but any child will empathize with Josephine's earnest attempt to share the best of herself with her class. "Sometimes native-speaking people underestimate the talents, dignity and wit of newcomers to a country," the author muses in her postscript. All of these attributes come through loud and clear in one of the more endearing characters and accurate classroom narratives to appear in children's literature (6 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

I FEEL BETTER WITH A FROG IN MY THROAT (NONFICTION)

2010-11-22T22:56:00.004-06:00

NONFICTION
Wow, a lot of cold and flu going around. Time for a reading prescription.

I FEEL BETTER WITH A FROG IN MY THROAT by Caralyn Becker (Houghton Mifflin)

Which is the surest cure for a wound: honey, moldy bread, puppy kisses, spider webs or maggots? All of these prescriptions were employed at some point in history. Millipedes were used for stomachaches, holes drilled in the head for migraines, and necklaces were made of earthworms for sore throats, all with varying degrees of success starting with zero. What fun, in multiple choice format, to discover the surprising answers of which alchemy rated an A+. Well written in an inviting conversational style, the text is enhanced with humorous digital mixed media illustrations that suggest rich paintings with tongue applied firmly in cheek. Following up on her unusual and enticing children’s nonfiction such as WHO PUT THE B IN BALLYHOO and THE RAUCOUS ROYALS, likewise, this well-researched, bibliography-backed volume doesn’t flinch as it conveys the finer, funnier and freakier details of history. A picture book boon for older children, this doubles most definitely as a sure cure for reluctant readers. (8 and up)

Also of interest:

A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (Roaring Brook) Zookeeper Amos takes mighty good care of his friends. Every day, He plays chess with the elephant, races the tortoise (and lets him win), wipes the rhinoceros’ substantial runny nose, keeps a shy penguin company and reads to the night owl who is afraid of the dark. But when Amos gets sick with the flu, it’s the animals who come and deliver the necessary caretaking. Such zoo-in-the-home stories have a long line of grandparents, from A ZOO FOR MISTER MUSTER by Arnold Lobel (1962) to Peggy Rathmann’s inimitable GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA (1994), visually referenced in Stead’s illustrations with a familiar red balloon and tiny supporting-character mouse making several appearances throughout. This book has a sensitive pencil line and woodblock backdrops, and a muted, restrained palette that is rare these days, understated and lovely. Just like the kind of man Amos reveals himself to be, unafraid of being kind and soft, the great strength of this book is in its brave gentleness. Look at that mighty elephant trunk curled carefully around the wing of a penguin, animals patiently waiting at the stop for a public bus, or Amos playing hide-and-seek under a peacock-patterned coverlet! An excellent friendship story hinging on the underserved but important theme of reciprocation, it goes to show another day at the zoo is always welcome. (4 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

MIRROR (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-11-12T06:59:00.002-06:00

PICTURE BOOK

MIRROR by Jeannie Baker (Candlewick, 2010)

“The idea for this book came from my delight traveling in a country very different from my own. At the time, in my own country, there was much political poisoning of attitudes of foreigners and foreignness. But traveling along in remote Morocco, a woman 'stranger' myself, I was met with much friendliness and generosity from 'strangers.' The idea for the book was right there: that outward appearances may be very different but the inner person of a 'stranger' may not be a stranger at all. Like each other, we live to be loved by family and friends and to be a part of a larger family, a community. Inwardly we are so alike, it could be each other we see when we look in a mirror."
- Jeannie Baker

Get ready for something out of the children’s book “box.” Two parallel stories of two families: one in urban Australia, one in Morocco. When you open the single book, two bound texts are revealed, one on the front side of the binding and one on the backside, one you follow right to left, the other, left to right, in mirror image, with pages to be turned at the same time. In this way, we go wordlessly through an average day for both families, both involving shopping, one side featuring a boy’s trip to the mega hardware store in a shopping mall, the other to a sandy desert market. Not since Mistumasa Anno’s ALL IN A DAY has parallel timelines gotten such unusual play.

Jeannie Baker is a seasoned children’s book illustrator (some teachers may recognize her earlier work, WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE SEA from rainforest units). I hope it can be appreciated what a major, major undertaking this latest work must have been. Even the conception of the project, requiring some reader acrobatics decoding narratives in two different directions, literally and figuratively, redefines in some way the structure and expectation of a book. The wordless text gives the story universality, with a storyline intended clearly to unify, while never sacrificing the cultural integrity of each country represented. But whoooosh, look at that art, meticulous paper cut and collage on every page, integrating sand, tin, wood, plastic, clay, paint and vegetation. The whole world seems in this book, and fittingly so; most of all, this is a book about love of the world, in it’s sameness and its differences. It doesn’t require us to believe everyone is “just like us” in order for us to love them and want them to be free. At the same time, the book allows us to notice our commonalities in a real world context. The story ends with the Australian boy’s imagination being lifted by thoughts of a “magic carpet” imported to and bought at the hardware store, while the Moroccan family is swept away by their own market purchase: a desktop computer. It is interesting she chose to end on that note, albeit subtle, where the Westernized family is still holding to outdated stereotypes of the Arab world, while the other family, for all the isolation of the landscape, is moving forward toward the technological age; but rather than reading as an accusation, it comes off as an invitation to an updated global view. Teachers, students can research other countries and cultures to create a similar parallel illustration, a picture that tells a thousand words.

In a world of electronic beeping and booping, buttons to press and glowing screens, this is a straight-up analog book for the 21st century. It deserves way more buzz than it has been getting, and though the author's nationality might get it tripped up on the residency criteria of “most distinguished contribution to American literature,” I hope the award committees are on the alert for how to give this American edition its due in the states; it reminds me of the year Robert Sabuda created his first big pop-up, ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, requiring hundreds of hand-carved block plates and probably deserving of a Caledott and a half, but might have been considered a “novelty book.” Please pay attention, ya’ll. (7 and up)

Also of interest:

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It can begin with a single page, too! Encourage your young readers to atke a trip around the world by exploring titles on the "Book a Trip Around the World" list, here! Teachers, make passports with a page for every continent, and rubberstamp pages as they read books from particular locales. How far can children travel with books?

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE (NONFICTION)

2010-11-07T16:41:00.002-06:00

NONFICTION

STAND STRAIGHT, ELLA KATE by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise (Dial, 2010)

Little Ella Kate Eming didn’t stay little for long. Due to a gland disorder that was poorly understood by the doctors of the late nineteenth century, she sprouted up like the tallest sunflower, ultimately over eight feet. In her small town in Missouri, she was able to find friends and had parents who cared for her dearly, building her a special desk for school, hemming her dresses longer and longer, and always advising her to “stand straight” instead of hiding her difference. All the same, some painful teasing makes it so she stays close to home. When a man from a museum approaches her with an unusual gig, will she cower or come into the spotlight? One of the most heartwarming parts of the story is when Ella Kate can finally afford to build a house to her specifications, and can really be at home, in her own place and her own body. First-person narrative helps to bring Ella Kate to life, and makes all the more palpable the pain of the moniker of “freak,” but also makes her victories glow all the more brightly, a woman who traveled, earned money and had great and unique adventures when few opportunities were available to women of any size. The matte acrylic illustrations are folksy but still manage great feeling, with varied layouts that maintain interest and compliment the action throughout. This is a book about a true hero, inspiration and rare spirit, executed with a great and contagious affection and admiration for its subject. What child doesn’t feel different in some way, and wouldn’t be fortified by such a story? Read this, and you’ll be standing straight for an ovation for a truly outstanding picture book biography. (7 and up)

Also of interest:

TOM THUMB: THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF A MAN IN MINIATURE by George Sullivan (Clarion, 2011)

Step right up, and see the four-year-old Charles Stratton, two feet tall and fifteen pounds, same as he was as a seven-month-old baby. Master promoter P.T. Barnum didn’t miss a beat when it came to recruiting Charles for his circus, making him very rich, awfully famous, and a symbiotic partner in Barnum’s travels and adventures. While it is hard to conceive of the relationship as anything but exploitative, the author does a commendable job at the task of truly putting Stratton’s position in the historical context of the 19th century, where life was difficult and often sad, and entertainment a rare commodity; "Tom Thumb" was an early modern celebrity. Lots of text is made palpable for young readers by virtue of wide leading (space) between the lines, and the scrapbook-like interspersion of photographs and ephemera, including etchings of Sullivan’s visit to the queen, and pictures of his bride Lavinia Bump and his other circus friends. Pages of source notes underscore primary sources, and a generous bibliography is also included. Interesting reading, sure to provoke discussion, and besides being an appealing choice for reluctant readers poring over the nonfiction shelves, this is an excellent pick for book clubs looking for a true story. (8 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

THE DARK EMPEROR AND OTHER POEMS OF THE NIGHT (POETRY)

2010-10-27T21:10:00.002-05:00

POETRY
THE DARK EMPEROR & OTHER POEMS OF THE NIGHT by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen (Houghton Mifflin)

To all of you who crawl and creep,
Who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,
Who wake at dusk and throw off sleep;
Welcome to the night.

To you who make the forest sing,
Who dip and dodge on silent wing,
Who flutter, hover, clasp and cling:
Welcome to the night!...

Welcome, indeed, to page after page of the most striking hand-painted relief prints since the work of Christopher Wormell, decorated by pristine poetry (sigh to the ardency of the “Love Poem of the Primrose Moth,” mind the “Night Spider’s Advice” [ Do your work, then / sit back and see / what falls into your lap. / Eat your triumphs, / eat your mistakes…”] and amble along in jocular step with “I Am a Baby Porcupette”). From the loamy mushroom rot and curl of a forest underfoot to the swirl and swipe of bat’s wings, croak of toads and crawl of efts, the book parlays back and forth between mysterious midnight spell a scientific explanation. While the somewhat bright azure background color conveys a mood that is not always shadowy enough for the subject, the full moon traverses the sky on every page and peeks out from between tree trunks, boughs and webs to remind us, this is night. These poems are the right size for a child’s imagination, with succinct and elegant scientific explanations in the right-side columns anda nifty glossary to help young readers tackle words like “stridulation,” “spinnerets” and “wane." Even after the closing of the book, the content spreads in the spirit like the lightening sky of day. A small epic to mood and beauty. (7 and up)

Also of interest:

SHADOW by Suzy Lee (Chronicle) Well, well, well, here’s one little girl who is NOT afraid of the dark. Turning on a naked lightbulb in a storage area, the ladder, vacuum, hose and various whatnots are transformed into wordless wonderland scenes that pull the character and the reader into a drama that grows more exciting with every turned page. Starting with Rorschach-like illustrations, reality rests on one side and a parallel, playful tropical/folkloric hybrid universe on the other, unified by the seam of the book. The imaginative world soon consumes both sides of the page as the girl defeats the small but nefarious wolf to a point of enough contrition that he is invited into a fantasy shindig. Dreams must be deferred when mother’s call of “Dinner’s ready!” cuts through the action like a scissors, perhaps a loose reference to the reassuring spell-breaking of Max’s mother’s soup in Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. The room is left in disarray and darkness, but does that mean the party is really over? Like the little girl in the story, the artist does everything possible with what she’s got: her limited palette of black and a spreading cloud of yellow, her simple stencils, her pencil, the very space on the page used with new energy and inventiveness. Stylistically, it is reminiscent of Marie Hall Ets’ vintage IN THE FOREST, but its fresh mastery of the form makes it a must-have for picture book lovers of all ages and if the illustrator were not residing in Singapore, this would be a Caldecott contender, beyond the shadow of a doubt. (4 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

NAPI MAKES A VILLAGE (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-10-24T18:30:00.000-05:00

PICTURE BOOK

NAPI MAKES A VILLAGE/NAPI FUNDA UN PUEBLO by Antonio Ramirez, illustrated by Domi (Groundwood/Libros Tigrillo) Drawing from the author's own childhood memories, we have the story of a Mazateca girl (from Oaxaca, Mexico) whose family and village is relocated into the jungle so the government can build a dam. There, the community works struggles to tame the wild landscape so they may continue to live and farm there, all under the watchful eye of a stoic jaguar in a tree. When Napi's father is injured in an accident with a workhorse, the jaguar comes to Napi in a dream, soothing her and advising her on what such a little girl might do to help facilitate his healing. Even in the midst of great adversity unique to the geography and circumstance, the universal love of family and the challenges of a big move stays focal in this story. Oversized and especially bright, the simple, folkloric watercolor illustrations have an extreme vibrancy and vim, seeming to bleed into unexpected rainbows and pools in the heat of the jungle's canopy. Children will appreciate the engaging drama of this real conflict combined with the magic of a dream, and the hopeful ending that underscores the resiliency of both the child and the group that works together. Created by two activists for Mexico's native peoples, the story never strays from genuine feeling while never resorting to the didactic; rather, it is an extremely personal story treated with great beauty, sure to build an empathetic bridge across miles of experience for many American children. Alternating Spanish and English text make this an extra marvelous pick for bilingual collections. (7 and up)

Also of interest:
RAIN SCHOOL by James Rumford (Houghton Mifflin)

Thomas arrives at the schoolyard, but there are no classrooms. There are no desks.
It doesn't matter.
There is a teacher.
"We will build our school," she says. "This is the first lesson."

And so the children learn to make mud bricks and desks, construct a roof of grass and saplings, and bring in chairs of wood. And inside, amidst the warm smells of fields ready for planting, the children learn and learn and learn. When the big rains come, nine months later, the winds tear at the grass roof, and the walls slump back into sod. "It doesn't matter. The letters have been learned and the knowledge taken away by the children." Come September, the children will be back...and ready to build again. This is a lovely story of renewal and resilience, by an author who has already earned so much admiration for his contribution to readable and fascinating multicultural literature (SEQUOYAH:THE CHEROKKEE MAN WHO GAVE HIS PEOPLE WRITING; TRAVELING MAN: THE JOURNEY OF ABN BATTUTA; SILENT MUSIC: A STORY OF BAGHDAD for a few "for instances"), but I think this latest book has a special grace in its unfettered, more minimal telling, and the loose artist's hand lent to lively figures against a clay-colored backdrop. But even though this style seems new, Rumford never loses the thread of the theme that weaves through so many of his books: language and learning is often hard won, a joy worth whatever journey allows us to arrive. And what child wouldn't like to build his or her very own school! (6 and up)

Speaking of Africa, I also want to give you a heads-up about an especially charming new series: ANNA HIBISCUS by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia (Kane Miller). Move over, Junie B., Judy Moody and Ramona, make room for your African cousin! Rather than being told in the immediate first person as is the style here in the states, Anna's stories are told more omnisciently, broad enough to bring in the (albeit unspecific) setting of "Africa, beautiful Africa" and with a special read-aloud flair brought to the table by the author's professional storytelling background. Anna lives in a bustling houshold with her African father, Canadian mother and a bevy of cousins, aunts, uncles and elders. In this first volume, Anna goes on vacation, meets with an auntie who has moved to the exotic United States (and hopefully hasn't lost all sense of tradition), creates a problem when she tries to sell oranges like the girls on a neighboring street, and dreams of snow under the African sun...a wish that may surprisingly get granted. This book is straight-up potato chips in that by chapter two it was clear just one wouldn't be nearly enough, and luckily, readers can chomp right into the sequel, HOORAY FOR ANNA HIBISCUS! which ups the mischief ante. Black and white spot illustrations combine a sensitive line with lots of personality, kind of like an African-influenced Tricia Tusa. These stories are definitely fresh, and full of the vulnerabilities, mischief and unique situations that make a series worthy of a following. Keep 'em coming, Atinuke! (5 and up)

On a personal note:

Thank you for your patience between postings. I am happy to report that as of September I have started a new job at a Chicago Public School (undisclosed) as a school librarian for kindergarten through eighth grade, and I needed time to focus on finding my footing there. It is just about the loveliest and sweetest public school in all of the city, in a fine old building with lots of happy ghosts, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with such fine people, both big and little! Now that I am settled in a bit, I look forward to sharing more books both here and there. Happy fall, all!

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

1 + 1 = 5 (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-08-18T01:30:00.000-05:00

PICTURE BOOK

1+1=5 AND OTHER UNLIKELY ADDITIONS by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Brenda Sexton (Sterling, 2010) When does 1+1=5? How about 1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies! Does 1+1=14? Yes, when 1 ant + 1 spider = 14 legs! Sometimes 1+1= hundreds and hundreds, if you are counting the seeds in 1 pumpkin + 1 watermelon! And more traditional number-crunchers needn't worry, 1+1 does ultimately equal 2, if you count two friends. This ingenious book makes the impossible very possible by exploring outside of the box, and while it may not do wonders for math skills, it certainly creates magic when it comes to divergent thinking. Bright, geometric illustrations nicely bordered and framed make every page fun to turn, and add a sense of order to the boundless imagination that this book will inspire. For older children, use it as a warm-up to the more advanced mathematical poems in Betsy Franco's marvelous MATHEMATICKLES (where a tadpole=2/3 frog, and cold air divided by breath = tiny cloud). Easily one of the most inventive books of the year, what creative math problems can your children devise with such inspiration? 1 crazy original read-aloud + 1 classroom/homeschooler/booklover eager to look at math in a whole new way = integrated learning. It all adds up. (6 and up)

Also of interest:

Other new picture books to add to the teacher's fall reading pantry.

SIVU'S SIX WISHES by Jude Daly (Eerdmans, 2010) Sivu the stonemason has a talent for carving beautiful sculpture, but he remains unsatisfied. How wonderful it must be to have the power of the rich businessman who patronizes his work! Magically, Sivu's wish is granted. When he discovers being a businessman is no all it's cracked up to be, he wishes he could be the mayor, passing by so grandly with his entourage. Wah-lah! And so it goes, with the poor megalomaniac striving ever higher. To be the sun! To be a rain cloud! To be the wind! To be a rock! But for all his ambition, what turns out to be the most powerful job of all? This retelling of the celebrated Taoist tale "The Stone Cutter" set in modern Africa doubles as an homage to artists everywhere and is clearly told, rife with the kind of poignant and memorable irony of Ed Young's resonant I, DOKO. A read-aloud folktale with a surprise ending? What more could anyone wish? (6 and up)

THE CIRCULATORY STORY by Mary K. Corcoran, illustrated by Jef Czekaj (Charlesbridge, 2010) It's hard to resist this guided tour of about 60,000 miles through the circulatory system of a fetching redhead, all narrated by a little green guy traversing through her insides, kind of like The Great Gazoo meets Miss Frizzle's Magic School Bus. A mix of the colloquial and clinical, the adventures are often put into meaningful contexts with which children will identify, like the forming of scabs or the cause and effect relationship between junk food and arterial plaque. While I confess I still have a special place in my heart (or at least my left ventricle) for Steve Alton's BLOOD AND GOO AND BOOGERS, TOO for use in second grade studies of the human body, and David Macaulay's inimitable THE WAY WE WORK for older kids, the text here is generous and conversational, and the overall comical treatment might very well set reluctant readers' blood racing, making it a desirable addition to a thematic collection. A glossary helps with words like "fibrin" and "macrophage." Don't know what those mean? See, you need this book. (7 and up)

HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ by Tad Hills (Schwartz & Wade, 2010)

As Rocket breathed in the crisp air, the little yellow bird hung her banner. "Ah, the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet," she marveled. "Where it all begins."

Lucky for Rocket, this chirpy teacher is willing to take the illiterate pup under her wing. Reticent at first, the lure of a good read-aloud with puppy-centered interest draws Rocket into the world of the word, learning to sound out each letter. But when the little yellow bird flies away, can Rocket keep up with his studies? Illustrations of Rocket running through the snow to form letters, nosing in the springtime dirt to spell "m-u-d" or feeling every lonely letter of the wind's "w-h-o-o-s-h," we join in the dog's eagerness for his encouraging teacher's return; likewise, we feel the little yellow pedagogues' dedication and effervescence trill out on these pages like a songbird's high note. Darling artwork done in oil paint and colored pencils are perfectly matched to the pert, well-chosen words that comprise the text, and ultimately, this book conveys the best of what we could want to say about education: to learn to read is both an opportunity and a joy, and it's a two-way street between teacher and student. Moreover, it says it in the nicest way. A pleasure from endpaper to endpaper and from both poles of the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet, this book about the gift of learning should be a gift to every teacher this September, and then read to every primary student. L-o-v-e-l-y. (5 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

ME AND ROLLY MALOO (FICTION) and 10 PICTURE BOOKS I WOULD NOT WANT TO TEACH WITHOUT

2010-08-10T08:11:00.004-05:00

My list of 10 Picture Books I Couldn't Teach Without is posted at

Hit the Ground Running: The Educating Esme Blog!

Cathy Mere, author of MORE THAN GUIDED READING and blogger at Reflect and Refine: Building a Learning Community, in cooperation with Mandy at Enjoy and Embrace Learning, invited/challenged members of the Kidlitosphere blogging community to come up with ten picture books they couldn't teach without. Please visit my other blog especially for educators to see which titles I chose...and to devise your own "if I were on a desert island" collection! You can also use this wonderful "Jog the Blog" feature to easily browse ALL the top ten lists of ALL the participants! What fun.

Meanwhile, the schoolbell's ringing! Readers, please line up for some middle-grade novels that will really stretch your thinking.

FICTION

ME AND ROLLY MALOO by Janet S. Wong (Charlesbridge, 2010)

Jenna Lee is a smart, math-loving fourth grader, but is frowned upon by the more popular girls in her class (and their mothers) for being slightly shabby and idiosyncratic. Queen Bee Rolly Maloo concedes to some limited friendship with Jenna, though, when it means she can ask for an answer on a high-stakes test. When Mrs. Pie busts them in the act of cheating, it is the beginning of a turn of events that can send Jenna Lee into a downward spiral...unless a few loyal classmates speak out, and a teacher in a compromising position can solve the mystery behind the misbehavior. Cheating makes for an engaging subject, but beyond that, many complex issues are addressed here with honesty, age-appropriateness and aplomb: economic class prejudice, the pressures and impact of high-stakes testing on school communities, the difference between tattling and protecting, and the effect of parental gossip. All of this is done in a completely fresh format, a hybrid of straight prose and graphic novel that wholly compliments each other; thought balloons and conversations in illustrated form sometimes alternate with the prose, other times run parallel, always offering insights, contradictions and inner thoughts of the children (of both genders), the teacher, the principal and the parents, each informing decisions that move the plot and begs the question: what would you have done? Moreover, the author does something that is very rare in children's intermediate fiction: she includes the grown-ups. Children in real life overhear what adults say, and their lives are impacted daily by the decisions large and small that adults make. Likewise, in this work of realistic fiction, young readers can see what the grown-ups are thinking, and why they do what they do...whether right or wrong. Ultimately, the conflict is resolved believably to the reader's satisfaction, even happily and hopefully as Jenna's mom finds a new start with a baking business, and manages to "stick it" to the woman who thought the worst of her daughter. At no point is the young reader underestimated here, and this is a book about decisions that is sure to be widely enjoyed for its format and widely discussed for its content. While challenging to read aloud, it's sure to create conversation, making it a a stupendous choice for book clubs and classroom sets, and an engaging read for individual fans of classroom stories and realistic fiction as well. Ultimately a tool for the empathetic imagination, in turning her talents toward the middle-grade novel, this versatile poet and picture book author has turned out the best work of her career. (8 and up)

Also of interest:

MARY MAE AND THE GOSPEL TRUTH by Sandra Dutton (Houghton Mifflin, 2010)

"Them stripes in the hills," I say. "Shows all the different ages of the earth. You can't see it now. It's way back."
Now Mama's mood just gets worse. "Ain't no different ages."
I don't know what she's talking about. "Why not?" I say.
Mama don't answer right away. She says to Granny, "I swear, them teachers ought to stick with spelling and numbers."

Mary Mae's teacher is not sticking to spelling and numbers, but instead, presents an enthusiastic unit on the Ordovician age, fostering an interest in trilobites and archeology well-matched to Mary Mae's budding curiosity about the natural world. But this fifty thousand year old history doesn't jive with the evangelical view of the world as six thousand years old, and from Mary Mae's mother's point of view, threatens her eternal soul. Mary Mae's tendency to ask "why?" trickles over into Sunday School, and when her fossil collection and essay titled "Interview with a Trilobite" are discovered, Mama reacts with a decision to homeschool, even though teaching is definitely not mama's forté. Mary Mae is frustrated, and wonders, is there any way she can find a balance between what she must believe and what she longs to learn? Perhaps her participation in the church's Noah's Ark puppet show will give voice to the balance that is in her heart. Dutton does a fairly brilliant job of respecting both sides of a prickly argument. The church's loving embrace of its congregants, eager to celebrate and give thanks for good news conveys a great warmth ("Jonathan Safer jumps up. 'I got a B on my history test.' ''Praise the Lord!' Everybody yells. 'Amen!'"), as does her secular teacher's desire to accommodate ("I'm sorry,' says Miss Sizemore. 'I wish I'd known. You know, I could have given you different assignments, the why I do Shirley Whirly.' 'Nope,' I say. 'I like science. I want what everybody else gets.' Then I get a lump so big in my throat I can't even talk"). Both are sensitively drawn, and the character of Grandma, who sees the wonder of her maker in all things, serves as a central pillar to both ends of the scale. The detail, lack of cynicism and inherent contemplation of this novel could have only been written by somebody who has experienced both sides of the coin. As the daughter of two Sunday school teachers in Ohio, the author says, "I wrote this book for kids like me who love discovering things, whether the Bible, the backyard, or a history book. I want them to have the courage to ask questions." In a storm where sometimes two grown-ups sides rage, the likable, high-spirited child character remains central. Teachers: the only thing I balked at in the book was a linguistically colloquial reference to a woman's breasts, which I chalked up to regionalism, worth being aware of but not a deterrent for collection development. Readers of all faith backgrounds and educational backgrounds will sympathize with and like Mary Mae, and find plenty to discuss. Provocative in the very best way, this is a brave and timely book that leaves you the better for having read it. (10 and up)

THE WITCHY WORRIES OF ABBIE ADAMS by Rhonda Hayter (Dial, 2010) It's hard to resist a good witchy-poo story, and Abbie makes for quite the endearing heroine, with the focus on magic instead of malice as she tries to survive school among her regular human classmates, from whom she must hide her unusual skills and identity. Pros of being Abbie: with a special talent for time travel (and freezing time, when necessary), she is able to do her history homework using primary sources. Cons: little brother is a pain (and uses his magic powers against his teacher when given a time-out), keeping secrets from best friends is no fun, auditions for a school play is causing jitters, and, yes, the kitten her father brought home as a pet is actually Thomas Edison under a spell. Normal stuff like that. The author's background in movie production is apparent in this debut, each chapter episodically framed in thirty-three short chapters that move cinematically through the story arc. The real magic of this book is that history is woven through the novel absolutely painlessly, and just as Abbie's many interesting relatives make appearances throughout, this is a book the whole family can enjoy. The breezy pace, believable preteen voice (and vulnerability), good humor, eye of newt and toe of frog will work a spell of confidence-building success for reluctant readers. Of all the varied problems Abbie Adams might have, finding friends in contemporary readers should not be one of them. My favorite witchy school story since DIARY OF A FAIRY GODMOTHER. But of course, in that case, I was biased. (10 and up)

Also, please check don't forget one of my favorite school stories of last year, EXTRA CREDIT by Andrew Clements, a great story and a springboard for international learning and activities! I would like thirty copies, please (along with a classroom set of Mitali Perkins' RICKSHAW GIRL). Click for reviews, and many more solid intermediate picks.

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

DOGS DON'T DO BALLET (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-08-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

PICTURE BOOOK
DOGS DON'T DO BALLET by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogilve (Simon and Schuster)

For my birthday I get tickets to the Royal Ballet. "Can Biff come, too?" I ask Dad. "He loves ballet..."
"No," says Dad. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: Dogs don't do ballet!"

Miss Polly, the ballet teacher, concurs with Dad. This does not stop the little bulldog from twisting his neck upward to longingly admire a tutu hanging on a doorknob, or peering over a windowsill to observe an eclectic row of little girls of all colors, body types and fabulous hair-do's lined up at the barre. The dog's owner can't help from feeling watched as she rides the bus and walks down the street en route to the big show. It seems like this canine understudy is not so easily discouraged by a few haters. More than ready for his moment in the spotlight, is the audience ready for him? Animals with performance aspirations are not new to the pages of children's books (Robert Kinerk's CLORINDA, Margie Palatini's MARY HAD A LITTLE HAM, Sergio Ruzzier's especially lovely AMANDINA, and Lydia and Don Freeman's PET OF THE MET to name a few), but the theme is executed here with a special panache, each page as fresh as a bloom in an opening night bouquet. The storytelling moves along at a nice allegro tempo, the art well-matched with a loose and lively line. Extremely cheerful, colorful and expressive, this old dog has learned a new trick sure to inspire pirouettes, chuckles and encore readings. Applause! (4 and up)

Also of interest:

Let's add a couple more shiny new cars to this cuteness train.

ROLY POLY PANGOLIN by Anna Dewdney (Viking, 2010) "Roly, Poly, very small, / Doesn't like new things at all." True dat. Roly Poly is freaked out in tidy rhyming couplets for many pages. He's afraid to eat the bug offered for dinner. And what's that sound coming from the bush? The darling wide-eyed wonder--and worry--so effectively portrayed in Dewdney's other books (LLAMA LLAMA MISSES MAMA) is worked again to good effect here, with animals as sweet, safe preschool stand-ins (and a nifty picture of a real live pangolin, an endangered species and animal sweetie pie, on the back flap). Whether clinging squinty-eyed to his mother's tail or rolling into a defensive ball, it's not until friends reveal themselves that he can relax and realize, "Roly Poly, very small /not so frightened, after all." Whew. Glad Roly Poly found a support group. (3 and up)

BARRY: THE FISH WITH FINGERS by Sue Hendra (Knopf, 2010) A little blue fish has cleverly made appendages out of some fish sticks (work with me, here), and uses his new digits to entertain the ennui-laden undersea troops with finger painting, tickle chases, a little piano playing and, of course, a puppet show. All swell, but there's one trick Barry's fingers does that save the lives of all his fishy friends, and has all the bottom-dwellers styling. This is an odd and oddly irresistible book, brazenly unfraid of exercising a more childlike suspension of belief or being quirky (naming a fish "Barry," for instance, seems along the lines of the work of the great Arthur Yorinks or maybe Daniel Pinkwater). The art is all preschool party, with splashy, straightforward pictures that you can see from across the room, bringing to mind Ed Emberley's GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER (though for some grown-ups, Barry himself might bring to mind WHERE WILLY WENT, but whatever, it's not for us). This book is not cheap on the brand of silly kids love, and be sure to compare the front end papers with the back for a final laugh. This book is good with or without ketchup. (4 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

ORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH (NONFICTION)

2010-08-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

NON-FICTION

ORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH: FUN FACTS FROM AN ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHER by Steve Grubman, with Jill Davis (Schwartz & Wade, 2010)

The cheerful little organgutan, hands on his knees, postured like an old vaudevillian foreshadows the fun inside this book. All sorts of familiar wild animals get double-page spreads, each with a great photo and unusual facts. Did you know giraffes whistle, moo hiss and roar (and sometimes kiss), kangaroos can't hop backwards, and like snowflakes, no two zebra patterns are exactly the same? Information about each animal is succinct and conversational, but the photos take on special meaning thanks to the back story: looking at a tiger feels different once you know it chased the photographer, and the lion's expression takes on new meaning, knowing what has caught his eye. Speaking from a school librarian POV, this is the kind of book that starts a tug-of-war, so consider a couple for your animal book menagerie. (6 and up)

Also of interest:

Kids always love information about the animal kingdom, and there are some wonderful contemporary authors and series that readers will be wild about.

Check out the work of Steve Jenkins, especially his recent release NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY (Houghton Mifflin, 2009) featuring his signature paper-cut illustrations and perfectly paced paragraphs that pack a punch of information on every page. Each elegant, sharp picture against a white background is coupled with an exploration of an animal's defense mechanism, often very surprising and hidden...I never knew a platypus had venomous spurs on its hind legs, and is the only poisonous mammal, did you? "You learn something new every day" seems to be the unspoken mantra in the a long list of Jenkins' engaging titles, this one in particular underscoring Jenkins' talent for creating nonfiction that works both as read-aloud and read-alone, speaking both to the heady young fact-finder and the reluctant shelf explorer. Also check out HOW TO CLEAN A HIPPOPOTAMUS: A LOOK AT UNUSUAL ANIMAL PARTNERSHIPS (with Robin Page, Houghton Mifflin, 2010), a diversion from his usual format into smaller comic-book like frames and panels. (7 and up)

THE BUZZ ON BEES: WHY ARE THEY DISAPPEARING? by Shelley Rotner and Anne Woodhull, photographs by Shelley Rotner (Holiday House) Packed with plentiful frames of attractive photographs, some very affecting such as the single bee against a double-page spread of empty honeycomb cells, this book describes the nitty-gritty of Colony Collapse Disorder (or the mysterious recent disappearance and death of pollinating bees) employing a question/answer technique, suggestions for what can be done, lots of on-line links in the back matter and and real-world pictures and facts throughout. By varying visual and informational technique, the book creators have managed to build an effective bridge between the dense heavy-duty text of nonfiction for older children and the simplifications for young readers, finding a perfect middle ground for information-seeking right in between. Again, this is a nonfiction title that works both as a read-aloud or read-alone...I suggest reading together, as the interesting subject has much to discuss and is a boon to science curriculum/pollination explanations to boot. (7 and up)

Speaking of heady young fact-finders and heavy-duty text, such smarties will enjoying following scientists on the job in the SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD series, akin to spending an unrelenting day at the hip of a real science practitioner, getting the play-by play from hypothesis to outcome. Check out the latest additions to the series, including the summery PROJECT SEAHORSE by Pamela Turner with photographs by Scott Tuason (Houghton Mifflin, 2010), a chance to join conservationists and community in the Phillipines as they try to restore a coral reef, and THE BAT SCIENTISTS by Mary Kay Carson with photographs by Tom Uhlman (Houghton Mifflin, 2010), an especially exciting and often close-up view of wildlife in the skies, caves, and underground as scientists try to deflect the damage done by White Noise Syndrome, a malady that destroys millions of hibernating bats. This series is akin to armchair internships for upper-grade students, and a real and rare opportunity to vicariously experience the grown-up world of work...meaningful work, to boot. (12 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA and GREAT SUMMER READS (FICTION)

2010-07-17T13:17:00.003-05:00

For children, so much of the school year is clogged with assigned reading, it's a treat as delicious as an orange push-up to get to choose books that reflect personal tastes without judgment or tests and that can be read at any pace, books that are relaxing and friendly and plain old fun, books that make us laugh or carry us away! I had such a wonderful time recently on NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook show, discussing some of the best summer reading (click to listen!) with experts Pete Cowdin of Reading Reptile Bookstore and Monica Edinger of the blog Educating Alice! My only complaint was that when we were finished, I felt we were just getting started. So in the spirit of "to be continued," here are a few favorite summer fiction picks for children old enough to get lost in a book.

THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA by Tom Angleberger (Amulet, 2010)

This hilarious book in short chapters is presented like a collection of scientific evidence to discover whether the goofy origami Yoda puppet that Dwight insists on wearing on his finger is an oracle, able to give advice on such important middle-school matters as what to do when splashed water makes it look like you’ve wet yourself or how to talk to a girl, or is it just a wad of green paper? At the start of the story, Dwight is often called a weirdo and a geek, but by the end of the book, the characters sense that isn’t very nice, and maybe isn’t even that accurate. Friends (and the opinions of friends) rightly play an important role, and commentary is inserted throughout, making for the kind of eclectic format that appeals to reluctant readers. Of course, instructions for folding your own origami Yoda are in the back. This pitch-perfect middle school book full of clever resolutions to common conundrums is both a solid pick for independent fun or discussion with groups. Fans and finishers of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney will find what they’ve been wishing for here. If you have a child going into the sixth grade all the way through sophomore year of high school, you need this book, and if you have a boy in that age group, you need this book yesterday. (11 and up)

WINDBLOWNE by Stephen Messer (Random House, 2010) Many of us of a certain generation may remember poor Charlie Brown and the Kite-Eating Tree? Well, in comparison, Oliver makes Charlie Brown look like a kite-flying master. This is a terrible problem considering that Oliver lives in the town of Windblowne, where kite-flying is the apex of achievement. In a desperate attempt to save face before the big kite-flying festival, he tracks down his mysterious uncle, a kite-flying champion whose disappearance catapults Oliver into a mysterious and magical world where kite-flying may turn out not be the most important thing. So many books start out flying high with a promising premise, but become entangled in poor execution; this book avoids such snags through beautiful descriptions, thoughtful pacing, distinct voice and glimpses of humor as bright as a red kite fluttering against a blue sky. What child wouldn't want to imagine being carried away by magical kite, or rising from the ranks of flop to hero? Said to be inspired by the work of Diana Wynne Jones, it also smacks of the inventive imagination of Laura Ruby's THE WALL AND THE WING or Alex Williams' THE DEEP FREEZE OF BARTHOLOMEW TULLOCK...but let's give credit where credit is due, too, this is some very original and refreshing work that meshes both fantasy and mystery, a solid single volume in a world of overextended series. (10 and up)

LOVE AND POLLYWOGS FROM CAMP CALAMITYby Mary Hershey (Wendy Lamb/Random House, 2010) I confess, I was hesitant to depart from my favorite and very perfect camp story of last year, Brenda Ferber's JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE, but I'm glad I welcomed this new cabin mate, because Effie Maloney could easily be Jemma's Catholic school cousin. I loved this author ever since her first book, MY SISTER IS SO BOSSY SHE SAYS YOU CAN'T READ THIS BOOK, full of insightful and inciting little girls, and in this new title, Effie's sister "Bosszilla" is a camp counselor poised to ruin summer fun. This has all the elements of a great camp story, including a ghost, al fresco dining ("She said we were having diner au fleuret sachet at our cookout. That's French for 'dinner in a foil packet'"), swimming tests and just a touch of homesickness. Like Jemma, Effie aspires to be an outstanding camper. To readers, she will be. (9 and up)

But a single book does not a care package make. Don't forget to also pack SUMMER ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY by Betty Birney (Putnam, 2010). Kids get to go on vacation. Why shouldn't the class pet? So our furry friend joins his human classmates at summer camp, only to discover the woods can be a pretty bewildering place for a small mammal. Birney's writing is never boring, chock full of laugh-out-loud dialogue, a unique point of view and Humphrey's clever "note to self " asides ("Note to self: winning is good, but not winning isn't as bad as most human imagine," or "Note to self: Nothing can cheer a person or hamster up faster than seeing an old friend"). When this hamster wins your campster's heart, there's plenty more in the series to get young readers though the fall. (8 and up) Also, you're never too late to register for SPORTS CAMP by Rich Wallace (Knopf, 2010), where Riley Liston struggles a bit, being the smallest kid there. The author taps into a straightforward anecdotal style and does a fine job of tuning into the competitive spirit and secret anxieties of boys, as well as their longing for friendship and teamwork. (9 and up) And you can take a long reading hike with Jane Kelley's NATURE GIRL (Random House, 2010), in which Megan is forced to spend the summer with relatives in Vermont sans internet, cell phone and no best friend. Things go from bad to worse when she finds herself lost with her dog, and what starts out as a modern-day UNDERSTOOD BETSY becomes a real page-turning survival story with a surprising splash of humor, in which Megan discovers maybe she's been just a wee bit spoiled...and maybe there's more to her than she even expected. (10 and up) And just for good measure, why don't you tuck in Jarrett Korsoczka's LUNCH LADY AND THE SUMMER CAMP SHAKEDOWN, the latest in the funny-bone approved Lunch Lady graphic novel series, perfect for reading by flashlight. (7 and up)

ROCKY ROAD by Rose Kent (Knopf, 2010) What could be more refreshing in the summer than a nice scoop of ice cream? How about having it served up by Tess, whose single mother has moved her and her deaf brother from sunny Texas to snowy Schenectady to follow a dream of opening an ice-cream shop on the wrong side of the tracks? While I am not a fan of the "let's pile on the quirky characters!" books, the author takes care to develop each of the cast believably. This book handles some heavy situations with a deft, light touch; many children will recognize the depressive swings of this mother, and appreciate the changes that occur in a family when finances are tight, as Tess and her family find housing in a complex intended for senior citizens. Most of all, the author really does a great job of depicting a child's vulnerability in having to follow where the grown-ups lead, whether the grown-ups are capable of leading or not. Fans of realistic fiction--and good spirit--will find a lot of flavor here. (11 and up) And if you like this storyline, you can invest in more summer entrepreneurship via Eileen Spinelli's THE DANCING PANCAKE and Lisa Schroeder's IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES.

A FARAWAY ISLAND by Annika Thor (Delacorte, 1999) Her parents promised twelve-year-old Stephie that she and her eight-year old sister would only have to live with strangers in Sweden until their parents fled to Amsterdam, but with the Nazi occupation of Europe, Stephie realizes she is stranded and stuck. Based on the author's parents' true stories of their experience among the five hundred children evacuated to Sweden before the borders were closed to further refugees,(including the parents of these children), the author doesn't sugarcoat the divisions between the hosts and their wards, such as a differing values about continuing school as opposed to farm work, the expectation that the Jewish children embrace church services, and the general (and sometimes unrelenting to read) glumness of being treated as an outsider and not being able to communicate daily needs and feelings. Readers share in Stephie's frustrations, made more immediate in the first person present tense. This book is a part of a series that was a runaway bestseller in Sweden and adapted for television, and is finding its audience here in the states through readers interested in historical fiction and WWII. When I was young, I was given Judith Kerr's WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT, which read like a travelogue to me; this is the book I wish it would have been, offering age-appropriate, non-fictional insight into the real trials of the war from a child's POV. Likewise, graduates of of Lois Lowry's NUMBER THE STARS will find this is the next book they were looking for. (11 and up) Readers can also find out what was happening on the other side of the world during that same time period by checking out TURTLE IN PARADISE by the award-winning (and BABYMOUSE) author Jennifer Holm, about a girl spending the summer in 1935 in Key West with relatives she has never met before. (10 and up)

BAMBOO PEOPLE by Mitali Perkins (Charlesbridge, 2010) Well, in full disclosure, I am crazy in love with this author ever since RICKSHAW GIRL, which I needed thirty copies of for a classroom read-along, but I must say this new novel for older readers really blew me away. Fifteen year old Chiko is forced into the military by the Burmese government, and in order of escape to get back and become a teacher, as his imprisoned father would have wanted, he has to befriend a boy who would have been his enemy under normal circumstances. This story is stirring, exciting and dramatic but non-sensational, balancing a boy's natural longing to be liked, to have a girlfriend and to help his family against an unspeakable backdrop. The plot plays on a young adult's developing moral imagination: it's easy to read this and imagine, "that could be me." Somewhere in the world right now, it is someone like them. American children need to know this, and Perkins is the author I would trust to tell them. (12 and up) Nicely paired with FREE? STORIES ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, written by various children's authors for Amnesty International.

THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS by Marianne Moore (Random House) What's a summer vacation without a trip to the museum? This time, it's the Chicago Art Institute, in particular, The Thorne Rooms, housing dioramas of elegant little historical living spaces. Having visited, it's hard to look at them and not want to be part of the scene, and the author ran with that, allowing her characters to find a magic key that would allow them shrink to dollhouse size and explore the rooms, discovering the secrets and mysteries within. What a magical game of hide-and-seek! This book has the promise of Koningsburg's THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER, but in practice is more akin to the Blue Balliet's CHASING VERMEER with its slightly more plodding, elite style dedicated to set-up and requiring some patience. Still, it manages to cast its spell, its best moments lighter and reminiscent of John Peterson's THE LITTLES series. A solid field trip into fantasy. (11 and up)

THE OWL KEEPER by Christine Brodien-Jones (Delacorte) In a dystopian world, Maxwell Unger has been necessarily sheltered and home-schooled. Allergic to sun particles, he finds solace and fun in the world of the night, where at twelve years old he finally discovers the truth behind his beloved grandmother's stories: the time of the Owl Keeper will indeed return, and the legendary silver owls will lead the way. With the help of a mysterious girl, Maxwell has to dig deep for the bravery to battle a world of evil. While this is some elegant and imaginative stuff, my problem with high fantasy is that it can be hard for the average young reader to follow. This title, too, requires some capability, but it is battle action-packed a la Brian Jacques' REDWALL series, inspiring adventure lovers to hold tight to their saddles across this new terrain. Hoo-hoo boy, this one's also an owly older-kid follow-up to Kathryn Lasky's terrific animal fantasy series, GUARDIANS of GA'HOOLE. Okay, it's a keeper. (12 and up)

Necessary to a perfect summer: old house with hidden surprises, to be discovered with new friends. One place to look is THE TILTING HOUSE by Tom Llewellyn (Tricycle Press, 2010).

"A secret?" asked Aaron. "What kind of secret?"
"I don't know." Dad grinned as he struggled to get up from the tilting couch. "A house built with tilting floors has got to have secrets."

John and Aaron Peshick and their neighbor Lola discover the hidden diary of F.T. Tilton, revealing a fairly creepy mystery that must be solved to avert disaster (tick, tick, tick, can you say THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS by John Bellairs?). While the telling is a little discombobulated with every chapter being a bit of an island unto itself, the writing is smart, tart and funny ("For Dinky [the neighbor's white dog], it was love at first sniff. I don't think she'd ever smelled an eight-year-old boy before"). A gross discovery to the murder mystery was not my style but it did please a number of kids. Ultimately, it had old-fashioned elements for new-fashioned children. Scary story wins again. So does a snazzy website and video. Potions and rats, anyone? (10 and up)

Moving on to other real estate, we have PALACE BEAUTIFUL by Sarah DeFord Williams (Putnam). Here, Sadie, little sister Zuzu and new friend Bella with a flair for the dramatic discover a journal penned by Helen, a girl alive during the flu epidemic of 1918. Beautiful is right; this is a rare little story that could have gone a more pedestrian route of ghost stories or mysteries, and while those tantalizing elements are present, the focus is on three children who are truly interested---and determined--to discover how Helen's story ends. The connective bridge between the past and the present is steadily built as Sadie moves from diary entries to her immediate family concerns, mainly, the pregnancy of her stepmother. Genuinely touching (even tear-jerking!), well-written, and great for independent reading as well as mother/daughter book clubs, this debut novel is a special one that stays in the mind and the heart. (10 and up)

Even though the summer days are long, there's no time to waste when it comes to pleasure reading! I am a slow reader and it takes some time to share with kids, but I don't want that to prevent you from knowing the best of what's coming, so here's a peek into my to-read pile. Perhaps you've beaten me to the punch!

ELVIS AND OLIVE, SUPER DETECTIVES by Stephanie Watson (Scholastic, 2010). I loved ELVIS AND OLIVE so much I had hoped it would win a Newbery honor for outstanding contribution to children's literature, so I am excited to see this dynamic duo is back! Solving little mysteries is one thing, but I wonder if Olive will solve the big mystery of where her absent mom is this time? I believe this author knows how to balance the little stories with the big picture.

ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN by Karen Cushman (Clarion, 2010). I loved Brat, a.k.a THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, I loved RODZINA as she rode the orphan trains, and I think we all loved the fourteen-year-old CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY as she tried to finagle her way out of a Medieval marriage arrangement. So who can wait to meet Meggy? Karen Cushman has yet to write a bad book, and her historical fiction is always illuminating.

THE DREAMER by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis (Scholastic, 2010). Two award-winning, unflappable talents (author of ESPERANZA RISING, illustrator of MADLENKA) work together to create an interpretation of the childhood of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. With its sophisticated premise and magical realism, I look forward to discovering if it is a book for children, a book for grown-ups who love children's literature, or both!

Two well-reviewed books about children with disabilities: OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon Draper (Atheneum), about a girl with cerebral palsy who has been unable to communicate but finally gets the chance to shine with the help of technology, and MOCKINBIRD by Kathryn Erskine (Philomel), about a girl with Asperger's sydrome dealing with loss.

SWEET AND SUNNY by Coleen Murtaugh Paratore (Scholastic). I love love LOVE the character of Sunny Holiday, the adviser to the mayor of her hometown. Next on Sunny's to-do docket? Make Kid's Day a national holiday! This author always infuses lots of kid-power and initiative in her stories. Remember THE WEDDING PLANNER'S DAUGHTER?

What's on your children's book loving bureau to read next?

MISS BROOKS LOVES BOOKS (AND I DON'T) (PICTURE BOOK)

2010-07-15T10:30:00.001-05:00

PICTURE BOOK
MISS BROOKS LOVES BOOKS (AND I DON'T) by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley (Knopf, 2010)

Miss Brooks tells us about something truly terrifying: Book Week!
"You each need to pick a favorite story to share with the class. I want you to wear a costume and tell us about it. Really show us why you love it!"
"I'll never love a book the way you do," I tell Miss Brooks.
"Don't be so sure," she says.

Fairies? No. Dogs? No. Cowboys? No. This reluctant reader is "stubborn as a wart." Did somebody say warts?! Heyyyy...! This hilarious and honest picture book tells it like it is: with some persistence, there's a book out there for every reader, it's all about making the right connections. The wry cartoon illustrations are priceless, particularly those that show Miss Brooks pulling out all the stops in order to share her enthusiasm, whether dressing as a Very Hungry Caterpillar, donning a pumpkin on her head for a seasonal storytime, or packing her unwilling patron's backpack full of about three thousand books in the quest to help her find the one that will make all the difference. This book has so much that is recognizable to readers, whether it's the tug of war between red-hot booklover and lukewarm browser, to the title that ultimately creates a reading convert. More than just a very funny story by a veteran of children's book charmers (remember BOOTSIE BARKER BITES?) this is a celebration of why we need libraries: not just as places where we find books, but places where we find the people who believe in their power. This is a must-must-MUST-have for every reluctant reader, and for every cutie embarking on a summer reading program (cuties being both kids and librarians). (5 and up)

Also of interest:

THE JELLYBEANS AND THE BIG BOOK BONANZA by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger (Abrams, 2010)

A circle of anthropomorphic animals have a wide range of interests.

"I'd rather be dancing," Emily said.
"I wish I was playing soccer," Nicole added.
"When can I go paint?" Bitsy asked.
Anna said quietly to her friends, "Just as jellybeans come in lots of flavors, there's a book that everyone will like."

Anna is staunch in her enthusiasm for reading, but reverts into a shy little bunny when it comes to sharing her own favorite book. With a little cheerleading from her buddies, she musters the bravery to deliver a jim-dandy book report, and how to best celebrate? With jellybeans, of course! This latest addition to the "Jellybean" picture book series by the author of IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE is a gentle homage to the bookworm (or bookbunny, as the case may be) and benefits from Munsinger's chummy artwork (her style seen in TACKY THE PENGUIN) that foreshadows happy endings with every expressive smile. Optimistic and friendly, a little pink glitter bling on the cover doesn't hurt as an "in" to second grade chick-lit circles, either. (5 and up)

My favorite booklover will always be Roger Duvoisin's PETUNIA, about a silly goose who learns the hard way that to be smart, you can't just carry a book under your wing...you have to carry it in your heart. But Petunia is no spring chicken on the children's book shelves, and there are recent titles that also celebrate booklovers. For instance! ALFRED ZECTOR, BOOK COLLECTOR by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Maky Pamintuan (Harper, 2010), is a rhyming story about a book collection gone awry a la Sarah Stewart's THE LIBRARY, but with slick and smooth computer illustrations and a waiting-for-animation-feel (6 and up).

And we have met Lola in LOLA AT THE LIBRARY before in her perfect celebration of a preschool child's first visit to the library, and in this companion book LOLA LOVES STORIES by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (Charlesbridge, 2010) Lola is finding inspiration for pretend inside the titles she selects (3 and up).

On a personal note

In the spirit of dear Miss Brooks Who Loves Books (and so do we), why don't you share your favorite childhood school or public library experience? Ten people who comment (and are reachable) will be selected at random to receive a 2010 Read to Me calendar, generously donated by one of my favorite organizations, The Family Reading Partnership (check out their website for the "Oh Baby!" photo contest to vie for $100 in children's books!). Alas, the year's half over, but there's still time to jot down your daily read-aloud, and the gorgeous artwork of children enjoying books by celebrated children's illustrators (like Aliki, Elisa Kleven, Tomie dePaola, Jesse Watson), are all beautiful and frame-worthy any day of any year!

For me, one of my most special memories would be my school librarian reading our seventh grade class THE EGG TREE by Katherine Milhouse, and asking us all to blow eggs at home and bring them in to decorate her own egg tree, overflowing with ovals saved from students throughout her entire teaching career. She let me check out the odd copy of Rousseau in French that had somehow found its way into the grade school collection, no questions asked, although at the time I'm sure it was obvious to her that I couldn't read or understand Rousseau or French. The library was the place where I could pretend to be the fancy person who I wanted to be, the person who knew about beautiful things I didn't always understand...the library was the place where it was safe to not have arrived, but to be becoming.

Or maybe my favorite memory was the one time my parents dropped me off for the kids-only preschool storytime in the Chicago Public Library (John Merlo branch), oh, the room was so packed with children from front to back, and where were my parents? Panic mode! Panic mode! But we all got to sit on tidy little mats that we shared with partners, and best of all, at the end of the storytime, the librarian passed out cut-outs that had pictures of animals on both sides that seemed MAGICAL to me for some reason...how did she cut them so nicely? How did she fit a picture of a wild animal on both sides? Obviously, this was a woman of powerful and extraordinary gifts, a woman that made me crane my neck over my shoulder as I left the room.

School libraries around the country are currently in terrible peril, on the front lines for cuts and downsizing, despite the obvious and well-documented benefits and the renewed need for capable instructional media professionals in the digital age. These days, sometimes I worry very much that school library programs will go the way of home economics and shop (two other great subjects that help children learn how to do things and create things and not just take tests), and though many have reassured me that the economy will rebound, childhood is short and a lot of experiences can be lost in little time. A generation that goes without is a generation that loses a knowledge and appreciation of what is missing. This is a cause for concern, but also cause for advocacy, invention and intervention. As supporting characters in the reading life stories of our children, let us be inventive of opportunities outside of institutions. Be aware of cuts that are proposed or underway in your area, and be vocal about your opposition...this is one of those times when it's okay to be loud in the library!

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

FARM and A DAY IN THE COUNTRY

2010-06-28T12:52:00.001-05:00

It's beautiful summertime, what could be better than a day in the country? Here's a book that will take you there.

FARM by Elisha Cooper (Orchard, 2010)

I don't know why, why, why BEACH didn't win one of the most major awards the year it came out in 2006, I suppose I just have to file that one under "s" for "shrug" or "w" for "what the heck more could they want?" or possibly "what-evah," but luckily the voice of this quick-sketching artist has not been quieted. In these latest pages is a grace as deep as the roots of striving plants, as high as cirrus clouds.

"The girl picks more corm for dinner...When she shucks the ears of corn, they squeak."

"Even the clouds seem to make noise as they bump across the sky."

"On the farm, even when it's dark, some animal is always awake."

"The rows look like wet hair just after it has been combed."

"...the fields change from the color of milk chocolate to the color of dark chocolate."

"The girl reads on the swing, until the sun finds her under a tree."

"Birds whirl behind the chaff, eating insects."

"Kernels rattle against the silo's metal sides like someone typing very loud and fast."

"September shows that some things are not forever."

I am always bothering children to make active use of the area on the piece of paper in front of them, as more self-conscious young artists who compare their emerging abilities to others often have trouble giving themselves permission to use a whole page, or try to hide shortcomings in the smallest of figures and objects. But Cooper offers a new example, doing something very strange and almost provocative with his art by making the pictures small, as if at a distance, creating in the reader the feeling of approaching what is depicted instead of having arrived, inspiring both longing and anticipation. Horizontal layouts add to the sweep of the spreads, and rightly puts into perspective the busy people's doings against nature's backdrop of sky and land. The pictures keep us afar, but the words, personal and confiding like one who knows and is sharing, these draw us close, close enough to smell the barnyard, to hear the clatter of the cowbell, but not close enough to pet the dog. Cooper has decided where we stand. That is some powerful brush. (5 and up) If (when) you enjoy this author's books, also be sure to let children read the pictures of his brand new wordless book, BEAVER IS LOST (Schwartz & Wade, 2010) , an exciting linear narrative about a little beaver who takes a wrong turn on the Mississippi and wanders into the environs of Chicago (very refreshing to see a city besides New York in a children's book, thank you very much). After being chased by a dog, taking a splash alongside the paddleboats of Lincoln Park, and following a street-smart mouse along the skyline, Beaver's determined direction from the west end of the spreads to the east never relents, and finishes with a comforting return to family after a day of being misplaced and misunderstood that brings to mind Alexis Deacons' great BEEGU. (4 and up)

Also of interest:

More picks for our countrified reading picnic.

OTIS by Loren Long(Philomel, 2009) A friendly little red tractor is the companion and comfort for a skittish new calf, but out with the old and in with the new, a snazzy new yellow model seems to do a better job...at least, until the pretty little bovine is dramatically caught and sinking into Mud Pond. Endearing illustrations in largely sepia tones with splashes of tractor-paint color have a sentimental, vintage quality, and begs for animation like stills of an old-school Disney classic. Illustrations of the admiring little calf copying the tractor's front-wheel "handstand" and standing in the middle of a game of ring-around-the-rosy with some energetic ducks are so achingly dear, it's hard to not want to give this to every young child you know, if only to say, look how good the world can be! Long, who recently revisited THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD with new illustration, continues to make use of classic book influences. Breezes of the spirit of Robert McCloskey (MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, LENTIL) blow gently here in an old-fashioned sense of small-town community gathering to solve a problem, as well as cooperation between people and animals. To say this is a loving nod to Munro Leaf's FERDINAND, the peace-loving bull, is an understatement; more like a prequel (is the calf a young Ferdinand?), and likewise, has a gentle message: in the name of progress, careful not to discard the good of what has come before. Something to sit under the apple tree and think about. (4 and up)

OUR FARM: BY THE ANIMALS OF FARM SANCTUARY by Maya Gottfried, illustrated by Robert Rahway Zakanitch (Knopf, 2010) This collection of beautiful poems have bylines by livestock, and show the world as seen through their eyes. Hear the prayer of gratitude from a sheep, the haiku of a nervous rabbit, get a rather up close and personal introduction to two peckish goats ("Yummy pants leg. / Can I try some? / I'd like to nibble on your sleeve. / Nice shoes, do they taste good? / Nice to meet / chew.") twirl with the turkeys ("See out magnificent/dance/in/the/grass. / We are so graceful, /like/a/ballet/class") and read a short autobiography of a pig who is convinced she is a flower, and might convince readers, too. The artwork is a stand-out, with handsome, colorful animal portraits in watercolor paint and complimentary sketches in pencil and pen. Each poem was inspired by farm friends that really lived. What an inspiration for young writers to take on the voices and observations of animals around them! Or break out your favorite Folkmanis puppets and have a poetry reading. (Have you seen the bristly new piggy puppet? It's very nice.) Good cheer and an appreciation of nature cluck, baa and moo on every page. (5 and up)

MARY WAS A LITTLE LAMB by Gloria and Ted Rand (Holt, 2004) Poor little lost lamb on Cranberry island! Luckily, bleeding heart Mrs. Paradise answers her bleats and brings her home, where she is cared for very well. Mary's inquisitive nature leads her beyond the garden fence, into the backyards and schoolyards of neighbors where she creates a nuisance. When Mary shows no interest in returning to her feral flock, the community must come together to figure out what to do. Based on a true story of a lamb on Decatur Island in Washington State, this is a picture book of special warmth. I just love the illustration of Mrs. Paradise maneuvering her bike with the little lamb under one arm, and the expressions of pleasure on the friends as they gather to see their mascot in her new home. You, too, will care what becomes of Mary! Pair with Sarah Josepha Hale's original poem, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (I like the version illustrated by Salley Mavor, I don't care if it's out-of-print). (5 and up)

HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY CHICKS by Barbara Joose, illustrated by Rick Chrustowski (Greenwillow, 2010) "Banty Hen lays seven perfect eggs. The Aunties fuss over each one. Bucka-buk! Bucka-buk!" Banty's feathery brood is her heart's delight, but what a lot of mischief seven little chicks can find on the farm! Cleverly, the illustrator includes a tail or paw to foreshadow the threats to the curious little peepers, but mother is never too far to rescue them from danger. A perfect bedtime or storytime read-aloud, full of sound effects for participation, paired with a thoughtful and elegant vocabulary, combining to create quite a fine preschool pick. Sure to appeal to fans of Nancy Tafuri, Jane Simmons' COME ALONG, DAISY! and for some really superior poultry suspense, be sure to add Erica Silverman's tale of competition gone a-fowl in DON'T FIDGET A FEATHER! Or perhaps a little George Orwell for the preschool set in Martin Waddell and Helen Oxenbury's FARMER DUCK?

The farm is always great fodder for classic and beloved children's books (from the oldie but restful-ie resissue of BIG RED BARN by Margaret Wise Brown, to more recent examples, like Denise Fleming's BARNYARD BANTER and Doreen Cronin's CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE, Jerdine Nolen's glorious fantasy HARVEY POTTER'S BALLOON FARM and Aaron Reynolds' always hilarious CHICKS AND SALSA). It's sad to see some lovely barnyard books have gone out of print: THE REAL TRUE DULCIE CAMPBELL by Cynthia DeFelice, Suzanne Tanner Chitwood's WAKE UP, BIG BARN!, and Marie Bradby's ONCE UPON A FARM. Luckily, the best of seasons past are still well-preserved at the library. Bet you could name a few favorites. Aren't we lucky to have such a bounty?

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.

THE NIGHT FAIRY (FICTION)

2010-06-09T14:29:00.003-05:00

FICTION
THE NIGHT FAIRY by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Angela Barrett (Candlewick, 2010)

On the night of Flory's peril, she was less than three months old. It was a windy night: cool and sweet with springtime. Flory was coasting on the breeze, letting it toss her wherever it liked. She was still very tiny--as tall as an acorn--and her green wings glittered in the moonlight. A little brown bat swooped down upon her, caught her, and crunched up her wings.

Flory cried out...If she had been a hundred years old she could have cast a spell to make her wings grow back in an instant. But the cry that came from her was no spell at all, only a sound of pain and loss.

The little bat, realizing his mistake, opened his mouth and spat. He stammered, "So sorry!" but Flory did not hear...she was falling through the night, spinning like a maple seed.

Who could have imagined the drama playing out in a backyard garden! After Flory's injury, she is forced into living and hiding in an abandoned birdhouse, marveling and managing the wonders of an unfamiliar world: spiders, hummingbirds, raccoons, the mysterious human who refills the bird feeder, and her ally Skuggle, a hungry squirrel with a one-track mind. Flory's temper, her bravery, her loneliness and hope are all exquisitely drawn, and the author never loses the fervor of her first chapter, introducing exciting situations that maintain a cliffhanging tension from the first page to the last. The story ends on a high note of friendship from an unexpected place, and the reassurance that faced with our fears, all may yet be well. Painted plates gracefully illustrate the scenes about the fate of the little fairy we come to know and care about. The book is brief at a little over a hundred small, double-spaced pages, making a lovely short story for an advanced reader or an achievement for an emergent reader; either way, it's a perfect brief read-aloud or a teacher looking to share a great book over just a few days. Schlitz is batting a thousand in terms of publication; she has yet to write a bad book (evidenced in A DROWNED MAIDEN' S HAIR and the Newbery-winning GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES!), reason enough to warrant much deserved praise, but even more than that, she has already succeeded so brilliantly in such a variety of genres, a rare versatility we have not seen the likes of since the great Avi. This latest is a beautifully penned and packaged adventure in every way, and as close as we can hope to come to the delights of finding a real live fairy. (7 and up)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

Fairies do so much as emblematic guardians of the environment, and fodder for the imagination. Once those wings start flapping, hey, bring on the whole fairy reading ring. Please feel free to share your favorites as well!

LITTLE FUR by Isobelle Carmody (Random House, 2006) Little Fur, a half-elf, half-troll, lives within the safety of a circle of seven ancient trees, a sacred grove in the center of a sprawling city. Hundreds of creatures call this place home, and the spirits of the trees cloud the minds of all who would put an end to their world. But word has it that a group of humans are burning trees, and someone must go and find out whether this is the truth...and stop them, if it is so. Little Fur's feet have never left the flow of earth magic, her body has never disconnected from the nature's touch for fear she might lose the communicative bond with the trees and her magic altogether. But when duty calls, she finds the wherewithall to venture out into the uncertain streets, with the aid of a cynical crow and a few unreliable cats. This adventure is impressive in the spell it manages to cast; we really root for this odd little creature, and feel her vulnerability as she tries to complete her quest. The author's own illustrations decorate the pages, dear and unpretentious as our heroine. The brown, soft velveteen cover is more than attractive packaging, it is a perfect binding to this unique environmental quest. It's no easy feat to find strong fantasy for younger readers, and this suspenseful read-aloud and imaginative play springboard fills the bill. Fans will find its sequel in LITTLE FUR: A FOX CALLED SORROW, and recently, there's more tree-saving and tiny people in Timothee de Fombelle's TOBY ALONE (Candlewick, 2009). (8 and up)

THE DOLLHOUSE FAIRY by Jane Ray (Candlewick 2010) After Rosy's dad goes away to recuperate from an illness, she finds that a fairy named Thistle has taken residence in her favorite toy, likewise there to recover from an injury. Although her new roomie is slightly sloppy and demanding, naturally, Rosy is happily obliged to take care of the tiny ward whose healing mirrors that of her father's, until the day when Rosy's dollhouse is vacant...but Dad is home at last, and Rosy's real house is whole again. I confess to being on pins and needles for this book's release, as Jane Ray's illustrations are always worth waiting for: large, jeweled paintings and collage full of detail and whimsy, and in this, the book does not disappoint. My standards for dollhouse stories are high, though, after Miriam Young's timeless MISS SUZY, Rumer Godden's MOUSE HOUSE (so precious, oh, I would love to read it out loud to you right now!) and Jane S. O'Connell's THE DOLLHOUSE CAPER (with boys who own a dollhouse), and relatively speaking, this newcomer has a slightly heavy hand; for young children that who would have been satisfied with the fun of finding a fairy living a dollhouse, the shadow of the father's illness lends a bit of a pallor to the narrative, and for older children, the story may not be fleshed out enough for satisfaction and leave readers wishing for more. Still, children should not be denied this book's beauty. The solution? More! Have children write their own follow-up dollhouse fairy adventures themselves (Thistle certainly has enough personality to warrant it), and maybe set up a dollhouse a fairy would like to live in for inspiration. This should help in the meantime while we wait and hope to see Thistle and Rosy again in some fiction for 7-11, where they both might be more at home. (5 and up)

And speaking of gorgeous books. If you have a fairy fan in your home, you must must MUST must have Rose Fyleman's A FAIRY WENT A-MARKETING (Puffin, 1992), certainly one of the loveliest and most evocative fairy picture books of them all. In this, a kinder gentler fairy than we have seen in more recent books goes on a rhyming shopping trip in which she purchases a mouse and a fish, and frees the wild things after taking care of them. Though the verse is lovely and lilting and the ecological story in keeping with the best practices of the fairy world, the real treasures here are in the natural detail and inventiveness that surely inspired works of art like this; everything the fairy wears and uses in her home is made from something in nature, and it will take many pleasurable viewings to find savor them all. This book glows like fireflies. (4 and up)

Other must-haves: Matthew Reinhart and Ronert Sabuda's ENCYCLOPEDIA MYTHOLOGICA: FAIRIES AND MAGICAL CREATURES, with pop-ups of lovely maids evolving into purple trolls, jeering pixies and swirling djinns peeking out from page insets, entire golden castles rising from the pages like some magnificent feat of paper architecture...the closest we can come to real magic in a book. (8 and up) And then, of course, there is Cicely Mary Barker's FLOWER FAIRIES, a woodland "Who's Who" which has clearly influenced all other fairy depictions in modern children's literature, containing Edwardian-influenced illustration and verse which no self-respecting and self-proclaimed fairy lover wouldn't be well-versed. Totally Tinkerbell 101. (6 and up) If it's your first foray into the forest world of Barker, be sure to pair with the charming and very touching movie FAIRY TALE, based on the true story of two little girls who claimed to have photographed real fairies at the turn of the last century.

It's worth mentioning that we have a gentle, shy little fairy living in the Bookroom (of course). We know she still lives there because sometimes there is a trail of fresh glittery fairy dust leading to her door. During the holidays, she dropped some teeny tiny presents near the entrance after she went shopping. Actually, sometimes this all scares the heck out of my seven-year-old goddaughter, who needs hugs and explanations. Magic can be a little scary sometimes.

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.