The Cath in the Hat

Gallimaufry Friday

2012-02-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

As weeks go, this one has been kind of blah. Not bad, but not great either. I did manage to get a ton of work done, which definitely goes in the good column. Here are some scraps of interest I found this week while trolling the Web.

National Geographic posted a list of Ten Top Literary Cities. Edinburgh, Scotland, tops the list, followed by Dublin, London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Portland, Washington, D.C., Melbourne, and Santiago, Chile. Sad to say, I've been to only one, London (where I visited Dickens House). My hubby, thanks to all his business travel, has visited half the list, having just returned from Dublin, where he viewed The Book of Kells, a lifelong dream. Which places have you been to?

Last month Maurice Sendak appeared in a two-part "Colbert Report" and if you haven't yet seen it, please do. It was laugh aloud funny. In the show, Colbert shows Sendak a children's book he wrote, entitled: I Am a Pole (And So Can You). Sendak dismissed the book as "terribly ordinary" (and he was being generous), but admitted, "The sad thing is I liked it." Well, hold on to your hats, I Am a Pole will be published in May by Grand Central Publishing.

And get this, according to a survey of 2,000 UK parents, one in five have put the kibosh of reading fairy tales to their young ones. The reason? They're too scary--and not politically correct. Hansel and Gretel? Abandoned children. Snow White? Dwarves aren't a nice term for little people. Cinderella? Too much housework done by a female. Rapunzel? Kidnapping. Goldilocks? The kid's a thief. Have these people never read Bruno Bettelheim's The Uses of Enchantment? Apparently not. My daughter's favorite tale hands down was "The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids". Little goats left alone get tricked and swallowed up by a wolf, except for the youngest one. He tells his mother what has happened and she springs into action, using her smarts and sewing basket to free her kids and kill the wolf. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the story's appeal to a small child. No matter what happens, Mom's got your back. I feel sorry for the children of these parents who won't be able to resolve their fears because they never got the chance to hear these timeless stories.

This week saw my 1,000th tweet. I started Twitter a little over a year ago, not expecting to like it. Instead, I've found it an amazing resource, especially for people interested in children's literature. If you have a Twitter account (and if you don't, why not test the waters?), feel free to follow me @TheCathInTheHat. Happy tweeting!

Pat the Bunny Spoofs

2012-02-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, one of my stocking stuffers (put there by my amazing daughter) was a copy of Pat the Zombie, subtitled: A Cruel Adult Spoof. And cruel it is. Paul and Judy torture a poor zombie bunny, gutting it (Now YOU gut the zombie.) and perform other nasty activities, each one mimicking the original. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say, and of course this book wouldn't sell without thousands of adults like myself who remember Pat the Bunny with such fondness. Growing up, there always seemed to be a copy about, no doubt because our household contained four children spaced seven years apart.

The original touch-and-feel book, Pat the Bunny, written by Dorothy Kunhardt (who created the book for her three-year-old daughter Edith), was published in 1940 and so far has sold more than 7 million copies. There's even an app for it, surprise, surprise. Edith, paid tribute to her mom by writing and illustrating her own book, Pat the Cat, as well as several others.

Besides the authors of the recent Pat the Zombie, other writers have sharpened their quills and taken aim at the classic. There's Pat the Yuppie (1986), Pat the Politician (2004), Pat the Husband (2008), Pat the Bride (2009), and Pat the Daddy (2010).

My all-time favorite parody is Henrik Drescher's Pat the Beastie (1993). Unlike the other spoofs, this one is meant for kids, and along with the inventive activities (kids get to scratch and sniff Beastie's stinky feet, play peekaboo with Beastie behind a shower curtain, and poke his boogers), little ones learn a subtle message: it's not a good idea to mistreat animals. I'll say no more.

Duck, Death and the Tulip

2012-02-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

My sister was staying with me last weekend and she asked what was that strange picture book in my office. Displayed on my shelves are The Long Journey of Mister Poop, Pat the Beastie, and The Festival of Bones, among others, so I needed a bit more than that to answer her. Turns out she was referring to Duck, Death and the Tulip, a book I intended to review but hadn't gotten around to yet.

The reason is that it's not your usual picture book, and I wanted to do it justice. The story is simple. Death, wearing a fashionably long plaid coat and bearing a black tulip, comes to stay with Duck. Understandably nervous, Duck asks, "Are you going to make something happen?" But no. "Life takes care of that," Death tells her. The two pal around, going to the pond, perching high in a tree. Duck wonders about dying and Death listens to her speculate. Winter comes, and one night Duck lies down. She does not get up. Death gently places her body in the river, the tulip resting on her chest.

The last lines are:

For a long time he watched her.
When she was lost to sight, he was almost a little moved.
"But that's life," thought Death.

Written and illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch, a German author, (and beautifully translated by Catherine Chidgey), the book's simple text and sparse, elegant illustrations combine to create a moving yet unsentimental treatise on death. It also has a sly, deadpan humor throughout, as when Duck first notices Death's presence. "Duck was scared stiff, and who could blame her?"

The book is not for every child, but I so wish it was around when my daughter was six or so. She went through a stage when the thought of death panicked her, just looking at her reflection in the mirror could set her off. This book, with its calm, unblinking look at death, might have eased her fears and helped our discussions. Who knows? She may still get a copy.

Duck, Death and the Tulip
by Wolf Erlbruch
Gecko Press, 38 pages
Published: 2008

Gallimaufry Friday

2012-02-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

What a week it's been! Valentine's Day, the Westminster dog show, and the Cybils awards crammed into seven days (and all overlapping on the 14th). Here's my take on the week that was.

Release the hounds! The Westminster started on Monday with the hound breed and ended the following night with Best in Show. The winner? Malachy the Pekingese from the Toy Group took top honors. I watched the annual event with my faithful pug by my side, who was unimpressed with the competition. He's secure in the knowledge he won my heart long ago.

The Cybils announced the winners of their Best in Show. As I mentioned in a previous post, among the expected favorites, there were a few welcome surprises.

Scholastic's Parent & Child listed their picks for the 100 Greatest Books for Kids. Except for the first ten books (with Charlotte's Web leading the way), the rest of the list seemed arbitrary. Good books all, but I doubt many will stand the test of time. According to the editor, the list is supposed to stir up controversy. All it provoked in me was "eh". What do you think?

Pinterest is a hot new media site, one worth checking out. The New York Times had an interesting article about the free Web pinboard that allows you to scrapbook photos you come across while trolling sites. Here's my board on books. Don't you just love the reading tub?

This week I received a letter from a third-grader. I posted the following on my Twitter account: "A nine-year-old fan wrote me a letter saying he liked my books and requesting my autograph. How sweet!" All three of my sisters responded.

NC sister: "That's really cool"
NYC sister: "That's great!"
CT sister: "Cougar"

2011 Cybils Announced!

2012-02-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

Happy V Day to All! And here's another reason to celebrate a holiday devoted to love. The Cybils judges have made their final pick. Huge congrats to all the winners.

As a first round judge in the Easy Readers/Short Chapter Books category, I am especially pleased to see Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke selected for top chapter book. This is a wonderful story about a young African girl leaving her extended family to visit her grandmother in Canada. Atinuke is a natural storyteller who will have you cheering for Anna as she navigates this new, snowy world, so different from her native Africa.

And Mo Willems does it again. I Broke My Trunk!, a laugh-aloud romp that has Gerald explaining to Piggie the reason why his poor trunk is bandaged, is the winner in the Easy Readers category.

Be sure to check out the full list of winners. There are some surprises, along with books that have appeared on other yearend roundups. Anya's Ghost, a graphic novel, is now at the top of my TBR list.

Gallimaufry Friday

2012-02-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Gallimaufry Friday is a new feature at the Cath in the Hat. As word buffs probably know, gallimaufry, which originally referred to stew, means a motley assortment, and that's what I'll be offering at the end of each week, a collection of odds and ends that made me purr.

What the Dickens! Tuesday, February 7th, was Charles Dickens's 200th birthday. You can join in the celebration by visiting the British Museum's site for original source material concerning one of the greatest novelists of all time. If you feel up to the challenge, you can also take this quiz from the Guardian, but beware, to do well you really have to know your Dickens.

For Dr. Seuss fans (of which I am one), take a gander at this collection of some of his advertisements. I'm especially partial to his rendering of hell. Doesn't Satan look a bit like the Grinch?

Garth William's illustrations for Charlotte's Web can't be separated from the text, at least not for me. Here are some of his original sketches. The image of Fern cradling Wilbur has been my favorite ever since I first read that amazing book as a child. Naturally I wanted my own little pig. I think it's the reason I so love pugs. They remind me of piglets.

Janice Voss, a space shuttle astronaut and scientist, died on Monday at the age of 55. Among her many accomplishments, she was one of only six women to venture into space five times. As I was reading her obit in the New York Times, I learned that what inspired her career in science was Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which she first read as a six-year-old. What a fitting tribute to this remarkable book, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

I'll end with a bit of fun. My sister was visiting last weekend and she turned me on to "What's Your Blues Name?" Mine is Sticky Fingers Thomkins. What's yours?

Ivy + Bean: No News Is Good News

2012-02-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

And even better news is that Annie Barrows's eighth book in her series is as fresh as her first. Ivy and Bean are back and this time the two best friends are obsessed with cheese. Well, not cheese exactly, more with the red wax that covers "lowfat Belldeloon cheese in a special just-for-you serving size". The peeled off wax can be squished and molded into any number of shapes, such as a unicorn horn, a soccer ball, or a fake mustache. Every student in the lunchroom brings the cheese tidbits to school. Everyone, that is, except Ivy and Bean.

Barrows clearly hasn't lost her feel for what it's like to be a child. She understands the yearning the girls have to get their hands on that wax. When their parents refuse to buy them the treats, the girls decide to earn money and buy their own. Bean's father mentions that when he was a boy he wrote a newspaper and sold subscriptions. Ivy and Bean are off and running.

The newspaper they produce, The Flipping Pancake, has more in common with the National Enquirer than the New York Times. The two friends spy on their neighbors in order to get the real scoop on what's happening on Pancake Court. They even print a nudie photo of a neighbor (as a baby). Of course, eventually the neighbors receive their copies of the scandal sheet. As revenge comes a-knockin', Ivy and Bean put their heads together and come up with a solution that allows them to escape harm. Hint: It involves cheese rind.

No News Is Good News is another hilarious triumph for Barrows. Young readers will keep flipping the pages to find out what new plan the girls come up with next. Sophie Blackall's delightful illustrations add to the fun.

Ivy + Bean: No News Is Good News
by Annie Barrows
illustrations by Sophie Blackall
Chronicle Books, 128 pages
Published: November 2011

Bad Kitty for President

2012-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

A candidate from the Right Side of the Street who:

Wants to throw those without homes into a volcano
Tries to buy votes (with a dead fish)
Goes ballistic on the opposing candidate
Uses a 527 Group to run attack ads
Refuses to debate on the issues

No, faithful readers, the candidate is not Newt Gingrich. It's Bad Kitty. Nick Bruel's feisty feline is back and this time she's running for office. After years of faithful service, Old Kitty is giving up his position as the President of the Neighborhood Cat Club. Bad Kitty is motivated to run for his position when stray cats from another area wander into her domain. Instead of erecting a giant fence to keep them out, Bad Kitty wants to toss the freeloaders into an active volcano.

The book's seven chapters are broken down into the steps of the electoral process, from the primaries to the results. Along the way, Bad Kitty does her best to upend the proceedings as she seeks endorsements, goes on the campaign trail, takes on the media, and debates her opponent, Big Kitty. When election day rolls around, the results are surprising, but satisfying. As Bruel tells Bad Kitty, "Democracy makes sure that EVERYONE has a chance to participate, that EVERYONE has a chance to win, and that EVERYONE has a chance to someday become the leader of his or her community." Let's hope he's right.

Once again, Bruel delivers a laugh-aloud chapter book that kids are sure to love. Besides telling a good story, the book provides a lot of factual information that goes down easy. For the most part, kids won't realize that they're learning a lot about the electoral process. The exceptions are the two Fun Facts spreads. Although Uncle Murray (Bad Kitty's backer) attempts to enliven things up, the presentation is a little heavy handed, especially for kids in the primary grades. Still, the story itself does an excellent job of showing how the system works. Bad Kitty for President gets my vote!

Here's GalleyCat's interview with Nick Bruel, along with a trailer for Bad Kitty for President.

Bad Kitty for President
by Nick Bruel
Roaring Brook Press, 144 pages
Published: January 2012

Zombie in Love

2012-01-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. (In my neighborhood, the stores started putting out red heart-shaped boxes of candy the day after Christmas.) Boys in the primary grades are usually not gung-ho about this kissy-poo holiday, but most will make an exception for a book about romance that features a love-starved zombie. Mortimer is the undead in question. He's searched everywhere for the ghoul of his dreams--with no success. Cupid's Ball is just weeks away and he still doesn't have a date. In desperation, he places a personal ad in the newspaper, under the moniker "Tall, Dead, & Handsome". On the day of the ball Mortimer waits and waits for his true love. Will Mortimer find someone to literally give his heart to? For that, dear reader, you must read the book for yourself.

Kelly DiPucchio stuffs this comic tale with deadpan humor. And as amusing as the text is, it goes hand in hand with Scott Campbell's deliciously macabre illustrations. For instance, Mortimer gives a waitress a "stunning diamond ring". The illustration shows that the ring is still attached to a severed finger. Young readers will also enjoy looking for a group of pet worms that trail Mortimer. (At the ball they're there dressed in bow ties.)

Although classified as a picture book, Zombie in Love's straightforward text shouldn't deter beginning readers from trying it on their own, especially when they have such specific illustrations to help them decode. All in all, a perfect book for young zombie fans who like their horror served with a huge helping of humor.

Zombie in Love
by Kelly DiPucchio
illustrations by Scott Campbell
Atheneum, 32 pages
Published: 2011

How It All Began

2012-01-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading How It All Began by Penelope Lively, an adult work of fiction that examines how one person's misfortune can snowball and affect others who are only tangentially connected. The novel begins with elderly Charlotte Rainsford knocked down by a mugger. From this incident, the lives of seven people, some complete strangers, are dramatically altered. It's a engrossing book, and wonderfully crafted by its British author, who also writes for children. Her The Ghost of Thomas Kempe won the Carnegie Medal in 1973.

One of the storylines has Charlotte, now recuperating at her daughter's house, teaching an immigrant from Eastern Europe how to read so he can get a better job. A retired English teacher, at first Charlotte has little success. When she learns of Anton's love of story and that he enjoyed reading novels in his native language, she throws away the clunky school texts meant for adult learners, and places Where the Wild Things Are in his hands. Although he struggles through the picture book, he's delighted by it. As the lessons progress, Charlotte feeds him How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen (new to me! It's by the great Russell Hoban.), Charlotte's Web, and The Finn Family Moomintroll.

As Anton plows through each book, pushed forward to find out what happens next, he has the following insight, so well-expressed I want to share it in its entirety:

"This increasing facility, this breakthrough, reminded him of childhood, of that extraordinary realization that all those black marks on the page could speak, that they were words, language, that they related to what came out of people's mouths, out of his own mouth. This time round, the black marks of another language began at last to make sense, to leap from obscurity, to tell a story. It was though you broke into a new world, were handed a passport to another country."

Wonderful stuff, and a wonderful book.

And the Winners Are...

2012-01-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Whew, what a ride! Just finished watching the ALA Youth Media Awards webcast. I'm happy to report I cheered more than I groaned. Here are the awards that had me up and dancing:

The Margaret A. Edwards Award went to Susan Cooper, one of my favorite fantasy writers. I read The Dark Is Rising series as a child, and it made such an impression. The Boggart is another favorite.

Balloons Over Broadway won the Robert F. Silbert Award for most distinguished nonfiction book! If you haven't picked up this picture book about how the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade got started, you're missing out. Read my review here.

Jack Gantos now has a Newbery under his belt for Dead End in Norvelt. I haven't read it yet, (it's on my TBR list), but Gantos is such an incredible writer. His Joey Pigza books knocked me over. I'm so happy he won.

The Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for most distinguished beginning reader left me speechless, I must say. One of the three honor books, See Me Run, which I read as a Cybils Round One judge, didn't wow me, then or now. The book that won the award--Tales for Very Picky Eaters--left me gobsmacked. When I reviewed the book, I found the father's tall tales amusing, true, but I wouldn't have chosen it over either I Broke My Trunk or the remarkable I Want My Hat Back.

Click here to see a list of all the winners.

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories

2012-01-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

Lost stories by Dr. Seuss! When I first heard that seven of his stories, previously written for magazines in the early 1950s, were to be collected in one book, I was as excited as a Zax making tracks in the prairie of Prax. Last week I finally got my hands on a copy. I read the stories, read them again, and...was left decidedly underwhelmed.

Reviews of The Bippolo Seed rave about how wonderful the stories are. So maybe it's me. And I didn't find them charmless, not at all. But when compared to his later work, they fall short. The stories have many of his trademarks--catchy rhymes, wacky names, zany humor, rollicking illustrations. What's different are the plots. The storylines, each of which begins with an outrageous premise, take the reader to the edge of the cliff, and then stall. Some of the endings are downright unsatisfactory.

Take "Tadd and Todd". The two are twins, "and they were alike as two peas in a pod." Then one day Tadd dares to differenciate himself from his brother. No matter what he does, though, Todd copies him. The plot advances in typical Seussian fashion, ending with the pair facing each on stilts both in outrageous costumes. Todd tells Tadd that he can't win. No matter what he does "you'll never look different, whatever you do." Surprisingly, Tadd accepts this and gives up his quest to be unique. I'm sure Seuss meant the message to be: Accept yourself for who you are. Yet Tadd doesn't come to this realization on his own. His brother forces it on him. More importantly, why shouldn't a twin be unique? I was left wondering how the later Seuss would have resolved this tale. Not so tamely, I think.

"The Bippolo Seed" is the strongest story in the bunch. A duck finds a seed that will grant him a wish when planted. At first the duck is content to wish for enough duck food to feed himself for a week. Then a cat wanders by and convinces the duck to up the ante. Before long, the greedy pair are padding the wish with everything they can imagine wanting. Before they can plant the seed, it slips from the duck's grasp and lands in a nearby river. Greed gets its comeuppance.

Don't get me wrong. This collection will amuse fans of Dr. Seuss. Just don't expect the buried treasure promised by Charles D. Cohen, the Seussian scholar who wrote the introduction. I find it telling that it's written for adult aficionados and not children, the ones the good doctor wrote the stories for in the first place.

The Bippolo Seed and Other Stories
by Dr. Seuss
Random House, 68 pages
Published: 2011

The Hound Dog's Haiku: And Other Poems for Dog Lovers

2012-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Twenty haikus about pooches, a dog lover's delight! Michael J. Rosen spotlights different breeds, from the bluetick coonhound to the dachshund, composing a poem for each. My favorite belongs to the border collie:

above your fixed gaze
a Milky Way of cows move --
your constellations

Perfection!

As friends and family well know, my breed of choice is the pug, and I was happy to see a fitting haiku for this hyper squished-face creature that pants like a maniac in hot weather:

summer metronome
tongue darts in, out, as you do
doors revolve round you

Each haiku has its own spread and is illustrated with spot-on woodcuts by artist Mary Azarian, who won a Caldecott Medal for Snowflake Bentley. Some of the haikus might be confusing to young readers without the visual help of the art. For instance, the Great Pyrenees is captured with a two-pronged antler clasped in its jaw, capturing exactly the line "grinning dog's forked tongue."

The book concludes with two spreads of "Notes for Dog Lovers and Fans of Haiku." Each breed receives its own write-up, with doggy facts related to the poem. Did you know that the bloodhound has 230 million olfactory receptors compared to our measly six million?

With the Westminster Dog Show coming up in February, this book would make a wonderful and poetic introduction to some of the breeds.

The Hound Dog's Haiku: And Other Poems for Dog Lovers
by Michael J. Rosen
illustrations by Mary Azarian
Candlewick, 56 pages
Published: September 2011

Poetry Friday is at A Teaching Life. Head on over and read some poetry!

Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

2012-01-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Hmmm, ten authors. And according to The Broke and the Bookish's weekly meme, the list can include debut authors, authors who have taken an hiatus, and authors who you wished wrote another book before kicking the bucket. Given these parameters, I decided to limit my choices to authors whose previous works I've read in their entirety. It doesn't seem fair (to me at least) to ask for another novel from Dickens (may he rest in peace) when there are so many of his books I haven't yet cracked open the spine.

1. Junot Diaz
Great writer, but boy is he slow. I love his short stories and his one and only novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
2. Jhumpa Lahiri
She writes some of the best short stories I've ever read. Her novels are excellent too.
3. Jonathan Franzen
Recently finished Freedom, which came out ten years after The Corrections. I really don't want to wait another decade.
4. Morag Joss
This suspense writer just keeps getting better. I devoured Among the Missing and now I'm hungry for more.
5. Alison Bechdel
Fun House: A Family Tragicomic, her graphic novel, was an emotional roller coaster. I wish she'd write/illustrate another.
6. Eva Ibbotson
This author of amazing supernatural stories for children died in 2010. Last year I read all her novels for the first time and loved them all. When I finished her last, The Ogre of Oglefort, I was desolate that there would never be another.
7. John Kennedy Toole
I laughed nonstop the first--but not the last--time I read A Confederacy of Dunces, Toole's posthumous novel.
8. Louise Fitzhugh
She died in her prime, and I can't help wondering if she had another great novel in her to match Harriet the Spy.
9. Sarah Caudwell
Her sly, caustic mysteries are a delight to read; each and every one is pitch perfect. What I wouldn't give for one more.
10. Jane Austen
Another who died much too young and in her prime. Imagine what she could have accomplished if she had lived another twenty years. Sigh.

The Ones That Got Away

2012-01-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

Being a first-round Cybils judge has been an eye-opening experience. Reading a year's worth of easy readers and early chapter books in a concentrated time span proved that cream truly rises to the top. Unfortunately there was more cream than slots on the short list. That meant that some of my favorite chapter books didn't make the final cut. So here are the books I wish could have been shoehorned in, with links to my reviews.

Bad Kitty Meets the Baby

Marty McGuire

No. 1 Car Spotter

Toys Come Home

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

2012-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Just kidding! I'd actually like to thank Kate Coombs aka Book Aunt for this splendiferous award. And congrats to Kate for her upcoming book, Hans My Hedgehog, due out later this month. Can't wait to check it out.

The award comes with the following rules:

* Thank and link to the blogger who bestowed the award.
* Share seven random facts about yourself.
* Spread the love by passing the award to five other bloggers--and be sure to let them know.

So, seven random facts about me:

1. As a teenager I mucked out horse stalls in return for riding lessons.
2. I didn't learn to swim until my 20s and I didn't get my driver's license until my 30s. (Some say I never should have been permitted to drive. Don't listen to them.)
3. Dame Edna is my role model. One day I hope to be half the woman she is. (That didn't come out exactly right, but you know what I mean.)
4. Orange is my favorite color. Perhaps that's why Halloween is my top holiday. On the big day I often dress up as a witch. (Again, some may say it is not a costume. Pay them no mind.)
5. My grandmother's brilliant brother changed the family name from Capra to Crapper.
6. I have a 10-year-old pug that snores, sheds, and begs nonstop at the table. I blog about him and all things pug at Confessions of a Pugophile.
7. This past September, I married a man who is exactly right for me.

And here are five other bloggers you should get to know, if you don't already. I hope you enjoy their posts as much as I do.

Bigfoot Reads
The Lemme Library
Picture Books & Pirouettes
Storied Cities
Through the Looking Glass Book Review

Top Ten Books I Am Excited to Read in 2012

2012-01-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I looked back at the books I read in 2011. Today I report on my Must Read list. The Broke and the Bookish is hosting this meme, so be sure to stop by and check out the lists of other bibliophiles.

1. Smut: Stories by Alan Bennett
2. How It All Began by Penelope Lively
3. Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James
4. Townie: A Memoir by Andre Dubus III
5. MetaMaus: A Look Inside a Modern Classic by Art Spiegelman
6. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
7. The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill
8. Curlicues: The Fortunes of Two Pug Dogs by Valerie Worth
9. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
10. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
(And as many other novels of his that I can cram in. I plan to celebrate his upcoming 200th birthday by catching up on one of the greatest novelists of all times.)

And that's just for starters. Now, what books will you be reading in the coming year?

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Reading Girl by Gustave Adolph Hennig (1797-1869)

Last year was the first I kept a record of the books I'd completed. I wish I had done this long ago, as it's been helpful to look back and reflect on my reading habits. In all, I read 33 books (adult ones that is; I've read more than 100 children's books, many of which I've discussed in this blog).

Without further ado, here is my list. Where's yours?

1. Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
Graphic novel about the author's parents' life from their meeting to their deaths.

2. Bonk by Mary Roach
The science behind sex.

3. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
Is there life after death? Not according to Roach.

4. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
A modern-day ghost story set in London's Highgate cemetery.

5. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Sprawling novel with a huge cast of characters, all interlocked through a connection to the music industry.

6. Tinkers by Paul Harding
The memories and final thoughts of a dying man.

7. Special Exits by Joyce Farmer
Graphic novel about the author's elderly parents.

8. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
Literary mystery, one in a series featuring Jason Brodie.

9. The Old Romantic by Louise Dean
An 80-something man, convinced he's about to die, harangues his estranged son to make up his will.

10. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
A girl disappears and is never found. The suspected murderer is never charged. Twenty years later, another girl goes missing.

11. The Master Bedroom by Tessa Hadley
A woman returns home to care for her elderly mother and renews an acquaintance with the married brother of a childhood friend.

12. Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses by Claire Dederer
Memoir that explores author's life through yoga.

13. Room by Emma Donoghue
Jack has lived his entire five years in one room, his only companion his mother, who is being held captive there.

14.The London Train by Tessa Hadley
Man caught in mid-life crisis leaves home to live with his adult daughter.

15. Tigerlily's Orchids by Ruth Rendell
Immature young man is smitten with Asian woman and tries to save her.

16. Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
Woman suffering from dementia accused of murder.

17. Among the Missing by Morag Joss
Suspense novel about three lost souls and the ties that bind them.

18. Sister by Rosamund Lupton
Big sister investigates younger sister's murder.

19. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
A family struggles to stay connected in our turbulent times.

20. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
A woman snatched as a teenager gets back in contact with her kidnapper, now awaiting his execution.

21. Emily, Alone by Steward O'Nan
Elderly woman living on her own after husband's death.

22. I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron
Amusing essays by a great stylist.

23. Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman
Suspense novel about two women recently released from jail. Both were accused of killing a baby when they were kids.

24. The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
Suspenseful mystery with detective sidelined due to pregnancy, yet she still manages to solve case.

25. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Thriller about a woman who wakes up each day not able to remember who she is.

26. The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman
Suspenseful novel about group of teens who wander woods and find a hermit who is ultimately killed.

27. The Vault by Ruth Rendell
Wexford, now retired, is called in to investigate four bodies discovered in an underground vault.

28. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
Two sisters disappear from a shopping mall. Thirty years later one returns.

29. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Funny memoir of Fey's rise to queen of comedy.

30. To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman
Three teenage friends, one shooting.

31. Murder at Mount Holly by Paul Theroux
Black comedy satire about old people involved in a bank heist.

32. Blue Nights by Joan Didion
A hauntingly sad memoir about Didion's relationship with her adopted daughter, who died several years ago.

33. Howard's End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading From Home by Susan Hill
Memoir focused on books in author's home library.

Breakdown:

Fiction: 24

Nonfiction: 9

Mystery/suspense: 14

Memoirs: 7
Graphic novels: 2

Favorite Book: Room by Emma Donoghue
A tour de force, a novel written from the POV of a five-year-old boy and every word rings true.

Runner-up: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Sleeper: The Old Romantic by Louise Dean

Least Favorite Book: Tinkers by Paul Harding

Happy 2012 and Bring on the Cybils!

2012-01-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

A happy and healthy new year to all! And how better to celebrate than by checking out the finalists for this year's Cybils.

As a first-round judge in the Easy Readers & Early Chapter Book category, it's been an honor to read all the amazing books nominated and to work with my fellow judges in selecting the ten finalists. If you haven't read them yet, make a resolution to do so. It's one you won't regret.

A Double Serving of Anna Hibiscus

2011-12-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

"Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa." Storyteller guru Atinuke begins all her Anna Hibiscus early chapter books with these simple, yet powerful words, propelling readers into a world far different from their own. In book three of the series, Good Luck Anna Hibiscus!, Anna is on pins and needles as she prepares for her upcoming trip to Canada to visit her maternal grandmother for the Christmas holidays.

But first she has to get through the harmattan season, a time when the desert wind blows sand over Anna's home and beloved garden, blotting out the sun and making everything dull and brown. Rather than just describe an interesting weather phenomenon, Atinuke takes the opportunity to teach her readers about empathy. To Anna and her extended middle-class family, the harmattan is an inconvenience. Their garden wilts and they must conserve water from their well to restore it to its lush glory. For their poor neighbors who live outside the compound, there is little or no water at all and the people are suffering. Anna and her family sacrifice their garden to share their water with them. Now that's a trickle down theory I can get behind!

In the remaining stories, Anna's twin baby brothers, Double and Trouble, cause her to be blamed for a misdeed she didn't commit. The sharp injustice she feels is one young children will sympathize with. She also takes a trip to the city to shop for winter clothes for her trip to Canada, and, in the last story, finds that no one in her family has time for anymore; they are all too busy. What they are up to and how Anna responds will leave readers with a smile.

Cold feet. That's what Anna Hibiscus has, literally and figuratively, in Have Fun Anna Hibiscus! Excited to travel by plane to stay with Granny Canada and see snow for the first time, Anna bumps up against cold reality: to go she has to leave. It isn't until the car pulls away to the airport that her worries start, among them Grandfather's admonition to steer clear of dogs. Grandfather tells her that people in cold countries allow dogs into their homes. Anna is sure he is mistaken. In her world, dogs "have worms and germs, and they like to bite people." Naturally she is astonished to find that Granny Canada keeps such a beast. And frightened. How friendly Qimmiq turns Anna's ideas about dogs around is both touching and believable.

Snow, dogs, woolen tights. Another big discover Anna makes on her trip is prejudice. Up till now Anna has been cocooned in her large family. With all her cousins around, she hasn't ever had the need of friends. When a group of neighborhood children stop by to check out the new girl, Anna happily goes off with them to ice skate on the pond. She flops at ice skating, but when she excels at sledding, one small boy shouts, "Africans can't do that!" Anna's heartfelt response is worth the price of admission.

Atinuke packs a lot of life lessons into such a short book. Yet it's never didactic and the morals go down as smoothly as the steaming hot chocolate Anna sips throughout her stay. Lauren Tobia's cheerful ink illustrations help bring Anna's experiences in the icy North to life, and she captures Qimmiq's doggy ways to perfection. Highly recommended!

Good Luck Anna Hibiscus! and Have Fun Anna Hibiscus!

by Atinuke

illustrations by Lauren Tobia

Kane Miller, 110 pages

Published: 2011

This book was nominated for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Top Ten Books I Want To Give as Gifts

2011-12-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday, the weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, has rolled around once again. This week's timely topic is books for gift-giving. I love giving books as gifts and this year quite a few are on my own wish list as well (hint, hint). Below are some books I hope will thrill the book lovers in your life. Click the title to be whisked on over to Amazon.

For the Anglophile:
The Old Romantic by Louise Dean

For the armchair detective:
Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Akinson

For the poet:
The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry

For the animal lover:
Rin Tin Tin: The Life and Legend by Susan Orlean

For the graphic novel fan:
MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman

For the history buff:
A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor

For the person in need of a chuckle:
Bossypants by Tina Fey

For the chef with a sweet tooth:
Jen's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer

For the pre-teen:
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back

For the child in all of us:
Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists

What books would you like to give--or receive?

Cybils Nominee: Toys Come Home

2011-12-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

Some books defy classification, and Toys Come Home is one of them. It's been nominated for the Cybils' Early Chapter Books category, but like many classic children books it appeals to a much wider audience. The story is a prequel to two previous books, Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party. These books slipped under my radar, so I haven't read them. Rest assured, I will make up for that pronto.

All three books feature a trio of toy friends (two plush, one rubber): StingRay, a bit of a bossy boots; Lumphy, a brave buffalo; and Plastic, a hyper bouncy red ball. Toys Come Home relates how the three toys become friends in six easy-to-read chapters. In this made-up world, toys can communicate with one another and can move, but only when people aren't around. In spite of this restriction, the trio of friends have plenty of adventures. After a few difficult nights in her new home, StingRay runs away, ending up in the basement. She also rescues Sheep (my favorite character--a very old pull toy whose life ambition is to chew grass), from a thorny rosebush. Lumphy bravely defends some plush mice from the antics of an all-too-real kitten, and Plastic posits existential questions--such as "Why are we here?'--that keep her friends up nights searching for answers.

This amazing book by the talented Emily Jenkins (whose Invisible Inkling is also up for a Cybil in the same category) is perfect for beginning readers and would make a wonderful read-aloud for younger children. I wager older elementary-school kids would appreciate it as well, that is, if they aren't too embarrassed to be caught reading a book about toys. Paul O. Zelinsky's full-page black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout. The detailed, realistic renderings add immensely to the story's charm.

Toys Come Home
by Emily Jenkins
illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky
Schwartz & Wade Books, 144 pages
Published: 2011

This book was nominated for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Cybils Nominee: 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = CHAOS

2011-12-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I read a collection of Vivian Vande Velde's spooky short stories and admired them for their wacky inventiveness. So I was pleasantly surprised to find she had an early chapter book nominated in this year's Cybils Awards. 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = CHAOS did not disappoint. It's a fast-moving romp about a bunch of animals--(See title)--that wreak havoc inside an elementary building one night. The adventures start when, Twitch, a squirrel that hangs around the schoolyard scoots into the building to escape from an owl looking for its dinner. Cuddles, the principal's dog, gives chase after him. Twitch darts into classroom after classroom, begging help from each pet that resides there, a hamster, a rabbit, a white rat, a school of tetras, a parrot, a turtle, a snake, and some geckos. The classroom pets get swept up in the resulting chaos with hilarious results.

What I liked best about this early reader is that each chapter is told by one of the animals. This approach allows readers to see conflicting points of view. Green Eggs and Hamster, the first-grade pet, is a bit ditzy (all that wheel spinning) but good at math and full of ideas. The school of tetras speak in one voice and advise the squirrel that there is safety in sticking together. Galileo and Newton, the science lab geckos, interrupt each other constantly. Their part in the story is written all in dialog, a nice touch. It isn't until near the end that we hear from Cuddles, the story's bad guy, or rather dog, and learn that he was acting in his master's best interests.

I liked everything about this book except for one thing--it's title. While humorous, when I first saw it on the list of nominees, I put off reading the story. From experience I've learned clunky titles often correlate to clunky books. Happily this was not the case. Highly recommended, 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = CHAOS is a fun read, even if its title is quite the mouthful.

For an interview with its author, click here.

8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = CHAOS
by Vivian Vande Velde
illustrations by Steve Bjorkman
Holiday House, 80 pages
Published: October 2011

This book was nominated for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favorites

2011-12-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a Top Ten meme in ages, but this one, for obvious reasons, I couldn't resist. Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish, so head on over and see what childhood gems other folks list.

1. Harriet the Spy (Louise Fitzhugh)
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
3. A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)
4. Gone Away Lake (Elizabeth Enright)
5. The Saturdays (Elizabeth Enright)
6. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
7. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
8. A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
9. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
10. Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)

What are your favorite kid reads?

Books to Keep Little Hands Busy

2011-12-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

December 1st starts the Christmas shopping season for me. I just can't focus on the holidays when the calendar page is turned to November. Big surprise, I enjoy giving books as presents. Books have always equaled love to me. Christmas Eve, our mother gave me and my three sisters, all chomping at the bit by that time, two presents each. Santa's presents would be under the tree next morning, so we set upon our presents like the tiny savages we were, tugging at the ribbons and tearing at the paper. Each year we received new pjs or nightgowns to wear that evening and a book. Bliss.

There are plenty of best book lists for kids out there. Two I recommend are the New York Times' Notable Children's Books of 2011 and the Center for Children's Books Guide to Gift Books. This year, I'm thinking of buying books that encourage kids to use their creativity, whether it's making paper monsters or cooking up imaginary meals.

I confess, when I saw this book, I was tempted to start punching out all the cool monsters and folding and gluing them into toys. Since I was in the library, I restrained myself. Why did the library have a copy of a book clearly meant to be consumed? I have no idea.

Yes, kids can have a perfectly good time playing with their Legos on their own. So why do they need a book? Well, I can go into the kitchen and cook a meal without any help, but sometimes I like to flip through a cookbook for inspiration. Open a page of this book and see Lego gondolas, elephants, picture frames, castles, spaceships, and much, much more.

Instead of a spatula and mixing bowl, supply a budding chef with a box of crayons instead. This book by the always amazing Herve Tullet is stuffed with recipes that kids use to draw meals such as Zigzag Soup and Crayon Puff Pastries. Opposite each recipe is a plate for children to scribble their creations on.

For more doodling fun, give your favorite artist Taro Gami's Daily Doodle 2012 Calendar. Kids can use the prompts to doodle something new every day and end the year with a one-of-a-kind calendar.

Cybils Nominee: The No. 1 Car Spotter

2011-11-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

The majority of early chapter books feature protagonists very much like their readers. Yes, Clementine might live in a basement apartment in Brooklyn and Stuey Lewis in a suburban house, but their day-to-day experiences are a reassuringly mix of recognizable families, friends, and routines. The name of Oluwalase Babatunde Benson, the hero of Atinuke's latest chapter book, provides a strong clue that readers will be entering new territory.

Benson lives with his extended family in a compound in a rural village somewhere in Africa. There are many chores to be done, and he's kept busy fetching water for the cows, collecting firewood, and running errands for family members. His free time is spent not playing video games or watching TV or throwing a baseball, but spotting cars. Not many cars pass by the village, but of the one that do, Benson spots before seeing them, recognizing the different makes from the sounds of their engines. His prowess earns him the nickname, No. 1 Car Spotter, or No. 1, for short.

Atinuke, a Nigerian-born storyteller now living in the UK, shares several stories about No. 1. The first, my favorite, begins with a calamity. The family's cart breaks, and now there is no way to bring the produce and goods to market the next day. No. 1 gets a brilliant idea, one that features an old, dilapidated Toyota Corolla, and the whole community gets together to make his vision a reality.

The other stories in this collection take readers to the market place, where they see an embarrassed No. 1 attempt to buy lipstick for his busy aunt, and to stay with his best friend, 7 Up, where he so enjoys his friend's mother's cooking that he forgets to come home. The final story deals with the illness of the family's grandmother and the very real worry of not having enough money to get her the medicine and help she needs. Throughout this book, the humor of each situation shines through, as does the bond between the members of this large and boisterous family.

All four stories introduce young readers to a world way different from theirs. But although the setting and customs may be foreign, the way families unite to help one another in bad times and to rejoice in good will, hopefully, be very familiar indeed.

This book was nominated for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

The No. 1 Car Spotter
by Atinuke
illustrations by Warwick Johnson Cadwell
Kane/Miller, 112 pages
Published: 2011

Balloons Over Broadway

2011-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

When my daughter was growing up, we lived a hop, skip, and a jump from the Museum of Natural History. That was great just in itself, but it also meant that every Thanksgiving we were at the starting point for the Macy's parade. My daughter was less than a week old when I bundled her up and took her to the parade. She spent the entire time gazing at my face, but still I felt like a real parent for the first time. As she grew, we usually skipped the parade. It was soooo crowded that we watched it on TV. But we still had our traditions. On Wednesday night we'd go to the museum grounds, where workers would be blowing up the balloons for the big day. It was fun to wander up and down the streets and see our favorites as they filled with helium and magically came to life. Of course, eventually word got out and that too became soooo crowded.

Balloons Over Broadway takes me back to those days. This amazing picture book tells the story of how Tony Sarg, a puppeteer, came to invent the gigantic balloons that are the hallmark of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Like many icons, the balloons just always seemed to exist, so kudos to Melissa Sweet for unearthing how they developed from blimp-like rubber balloons carried on wooden sticks to the soaring helium-filled wonders of today.

Melissa Sweet, a Caldecott Honor winner, obviously threw herself into this book. The artwork, a combination of watercolor illustrations and collages made from found objects, fabrics, and handmade puppets, exude the creativity and love of play that Sarg devoted his life to. In an authors note, Sweet tells us that she "played with all sorts of materials, not knowing exactly what the outcome would be." The end result shows that it was time well spent.

The book concludes with additional info about Tony Sarg, as well as a bibliography. The back end papers feature a 1933 advertisement from the New York Times, touting the upcoming parade. Among the "helium filled monsters" is one I would give anything to see: "The Colicky Kid: Listen to him squall!! He's mad. He's bad. He yowls bloody murder!"

And head on over to Sweet's website to view her Balloons Over Broadway activity kit. It has fun templates of puppets for kids (or anybody) to make.

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade
by Melissa Sweet
Houghton Mifflin, 40 pages
Published: November 2011

Elephant and Piggie Round-Up

2011-11-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

Gerald's trunk is broken and Piggie is curious to find out how it happened. Her elephant friend launches into a long story about balancing a hippo on his trunk, then a rhino, then hippo's huge sister. With each new addition, Piggie thinks she will get her answer. The explanation for the twisted snozzle is not what she--or a beginning reader--expects. Like so many of Mo Willem's endings, it is hilarious, as is Piggie's reaction, giving the story a double whammy of an ending.

Gerald is a lot like Hamlet in this beginning reader, except instead of obsessing over "To be or not to be?" he mulls the question: "Should I share my ice cream?" He goes back and forth debating the pros and cons, but time and ice cream wait for no pachyderm. Sharp-eyed children will spot the dripping cone and guess what's in store. Luckily for Gerald, Piggie appears with her own cone, and has so hesitation about sharing it.

It's Happy Pig Day and Piggie is ecstatic, celebrating with her pig friends. Gerald can't quite get into a festive mood, though. After all, he's grey, snoutless, and without hooves. In short, he's an elephant, not a pig, and feels as if doesn't belong. Piggie reassures him that Happy Pig Day is for everyone, and sure enough, her pig friends turn out to be other animals in pig costumes.

All three books are up for 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category, but the strongest is I Broke My Trunk with its two-for-one surprise ending. Mo Willems nailed this one. Right on the nose.

I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Nursery Rhyme Comics

2011-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of nursery rhyme collections. Some of my favorites include My Very First Mother Goose, Tail Feathers from Mother Goose, and I Saw Esau. Now I have a new favorite, Nursery Rhyme Comics, a compilation of 50 rhymes illustrated by 50 top cartoonists, including Patrick McDonnell, Jules Feiffer, Gahan Wilson, and Roz Chast.

Nursery rhymes and comics are such a natural pairing, it's surprising no one thought of putting together such a collection before. With their nonsense verses and fantastical subjects, nursery rhymes provide an ideal canvas for cartoonists to subdivide into panels. Each artist in this collection illustrates his or her rhyme in a idiosyncratic way. Patrick McDonnell, who starts the collection with "The Donkey," uses a subtle palette and spare style that perfectly matches the rhyme's brevity. Cyril Pedrosa's "This Little Piggy," by contrast, is full of details to pour over and delight in.

So who is this collection meant for? I venture to say everyone. Very young children can listen to the rhymes while nestled on a parent's lap, beginning readers can use the many visual cue to help them decode the text, and older kids won't be embarrassed to be caught reading nursery rhymes when they are presented so wittily. As for me, I'm putting this book on my Christmas list.

Here's a sampling:

Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes by 50 Celebrated Cartoonists
Edited by Chris Duffy
Introduction by Leonard S. Marcus
First Second 128 pages
Published: October 2011

Frog and Friends (Cybils Nominee)

2011-11-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Plenty of contemporary books for beginning readers are hip and cutting edge. I'm thinking specifically of Jon Klassens's I Want My Hat Back with its sly humor and muted, understated illustrations. I love I Want My Hat Back, but I also love Frog and Friends, a more traditional, dare I say, old-fashioned beginning reader.

Eve Bunting has crafted three charming stories all featuring Frog, a laid-back amphibian who enjoys hanging out with his friends Rabbit, Possum, Raccoon, and Squirrel. In the opening tale--my favorite of the three--Frog wakes to discover a round orange THING with a long tail floating in his pond. He calls to his friends and they in turn are mystified as well. When THING (a balloon) tragically bursts, the remorseful group believe they have killed it and hold a funeral (hilarious). What I especially like is that the story ends with them never figuring out what THING is.

The second story is about a blue scarf Raccoon knits for Frog, suffering with a cold. Not able to wear it, Frog re-gifts, and the scarf makes the rounds before returning full circle to Frog, who thanks to Possum, is able to secure the scarf and wear it. In "Frog and Hippo," the final story, Frog shares his pond with an escapee hippo from a nearby zoo and tries to convince him to return home.

Readers who enjoy Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad books are sure to become fans of Frog and Friends. Eve Bunting has perfect pitch when it comes to beginning readers. The action is briskly paced, the dialog snappy, and the humor is never forced but comes naturally out of the situation. Josee Masse did a terrific job with illustrations that compliment, not take over the text.

Also reviewed at Secrets and Sharing Soda.

Frog and Friends
by Eve Bunting
illustrated by Josee Masse
Sleeping Bear Press 40 pages
Published: July 2011

This book was nominated for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Tribute to Florence Parry Heide

2011-11-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of my all-time favorite children's book authors, Florence Parry Heide, died recently at age 92. Read her New York Times obit here.

Heide's most famous book, The Shrinking of Treehorn, is a well deserved classic, especially with the wonderfully understated illustrations by Edward Gorey. In an interview with Curious Pages, she shared that it had originally been titled, The Shrinking of Harold. More recently, she wrote the picture books Dillweed's Revenge, illustrated by Carson Ellis, and Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of the Girl Who Floated," illustrated by Lane Smith.

In all her works, Heide was a champion for children, an advocate who presented kids as they really are and not how adults prefer to see them. And she did so with a large serving of humor.

My favorite Heide book is--surprise, surprise--ideal for beginning readers. Tales for the Perfect Child is a collection of seven short, easy-to-read stories featuring furry beasties drolly illustrated by Victoria Chess. Like all Heide's tales, the stories are subversive. In "Ruby" big sister Ruby wants to visit a friend. Her mother wants her to mind her little brother. Ruby does. She watches him take the clothes out of all the drawers. She watches him spill rice, flour, salt, and sugar on the kitchen floor. She watches him pull off the tablecloth, sending the bananas flying. Her mother, surveying the destruction, says, "I told you to watch Clyde." "I was watching him," said Ruby truthfully. "I was watching him the whole time."

The other story characters are similarly passive aggressive. In "Gertrude and Gloria" Gertrude is the careful sister. She carries the supper dishes without dropping them. She puts the dried ones back in their proper place. Gloria is not careful. She breaks dishes and put them back any old way. Their mother, seeing the results, won't let Gloria help any more. But Gertrude, because she did such a good job, gets to help with the dishes every day. As Heide ends her tale, "Good for Gertrude." Like Gorey, Chess is an excellent match for Heide's deadpan style. Her detailed pen and ink drawings capture each monster's smirk or gleeful look as they manage to get their way.

Scary (And Not So Scary) Scarecrows

2011-10-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

Come October an elementary school in my neighborhood "plants" a scarecrow garden in front of the building. Each scarecrow is dressed in its own unique costume. Here are a few of my favorites. Happy Halloween!

Tune in to Toon Books

2011-10-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Toon Books puts out wonderful graphic books for beginning readers. This batch are all 2011 Cybils nominees in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category.*

Lilly isn't really all that silly. Like most kids, she's endlessly creative, able to entertain herself with just a few props. In Silly Lilly: What Will I Be Today?, Lilly sets off down another career path for each day of the week. On Monday, she's a cook discovering colorful vegetables, on Tuesday, a city planner for bugs, on Wednesday, a musician banging out tunes on a xylophone, and so on. But no matter who she's pretending to be, Lilly is always herself. Hooray!

Whew! Lots of things make Nina mad, many of which beginning readers (and their parents) are sure to relate. Here are just a few things that tick her off: "When you don't let me help." "When you let me pick and I pick the wrong thing." "When you promise and then you forget." Each complaint is accompanied with amusing graphics showing Nina in action, trying to help diaper her baby brother, choosing between the park or the museum, lusting after an ice-cream cone. The book ends with Nina acknowledging that she feels better when she can express how she feels. Hilary Knight of Eloise fame penned the illustrations, capturing Nina in all her spunk.

Patrick is a bear cub who goes on a picnic with his mother and has other adventures, including facing down a scary bully, in this charming story collection. Like the mother in the Little Bear series, Patrick's mom is unfailing reassuring as her cub gets into scrapes. When Patrick scares away birds from a fountain, his mother reminds him that the park is for birds too. "I don't want them pooping on my head," Patrick replies, a response that will set young readers giggling. Author/illustrator Geoffrey Hayes won the 2010 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for his Benny and Penny in the Big No-No.

Another Toon book about a bear, but this one is no cub. The invention of Frenchman Philippe Coudray, Benjamin is a full-grown bear with a decidedly unique perspective on life. Each "chapter" is a page long and ends in a visual joke of some kind. In "Help Your Friends" a rabbit offers to help Benjamin as he washes dishes under a waterfall. Benjamin thanks him and picks up the rabbit, using his fur to dry the dishes. Or, my favorite, "Painting" in which Benjamin paints a portrait of a cow. After the cow laughs at the amateurish finished product, Benjamin bashes him with the painting with the result that the cow and painting now look exactly alike. With its more sophisticated, offbeat humor, this book would be a good choice for older kids who want meatier fare yet are still struggling with their reading.

*I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Grin and Bear It (Cybils Nominee)

2011-10-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

"What do you get when a bear walks through you vegetable garden?"
"What is a bear's favorite baseball team?"
"Why do hummingbirds hum?"

Bear has some really great jokes. And he wants to tell them and hear his friends laugh. So he books a gig at the Woodland Stage. He invites all his friends, and when they show up on the big day, Bear step on stage and.... Bombs. Big time. Stricken by stage fright, Bear stumbles off into the night. Luckily, there is a solution to Bear's woes and by the end of this heartfelt and funny early chapter book, Bear sees his dream come true, although not in the way he--or the reader--might have predicted.

Author/illustrator Leo Landry has created an engaging character in Bear, a comedian better suited to writing the jokes than performing them. The seven chapters are sprinkled with jokes, the kind that kids in the early primary grades love to tell and which adults groan after hearing. The colorful illustrations are simple and spare, yet with enough details to help beginning readers with the text.

Oh, and the answers to the jokes? "Squash." "The Cubs." "Because they don't know the words." Groan!

Grin and Bear It
by Leo Landry
Charlesbridge, 48 pages
Published: July 2011

This book was nominated by Franki Sibberson for the 2011 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, and this review reflects my opinion only.

Going to the Dogs

2011-10-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

It used to be said in publishing circles that the way to ensure a book's success is to write about Lincoln, dogs, or doctors. Therefore, a book entitled Lincoln's Doctor's Dog would be a guaranteed bestseller. I don't know how true that is today, but I do know that books about our four-legged best friends are a sure hit for the learning-to-read crowd. Here are three beginning readers featuring dogs.

The text in this beginning reader, written and illustrated by Paul Meisel, might be simple, but the story is a lot of fun. A shaggy-haired mutt takes off running and a pack of dogs in all shapes, colors, and sizes, take chase. They romp over hill and dale, stopping to roll in mud, and then clean off in a river. Freshly washed, they begin to dig, uncovering a scary surprise that sends them off and running again. The illustrations show dogs in joyful abandon, enjoying the freedom of being off leash. Kids will have fun picking out their favorite breeds. I was happy to find a pug among the pack.

Dixie, an exuberant puppy, wants nothing more than to frolic with Emma, her young owner. That works out just fine until Emma lands the lead role in a school play production of the Wizard of Oz. Suddenly, Emma has no time for Dixie. She's too busy learning her lines. Told from the Dixie's POV, this beginning reader, written by Grace Gilman, demonstrates how feeling left out can cause a good dog to do bad things. Luckily all is resolved by opening night. The illustrations by Sarah McConnell are as energetic and playful as Dixie herself.

Losing one's pet can be devastating. I should know. As a child my German shepherd went missing more than once. Each time the hollowness in my chest remained until he was brought safely back. Lori Ries captures the heartbreak in this latest installment of her Aggie and Ben series. Told in three short, easy-to-read chapters, the book begins with Ben and Aggie at the park playing a game of fetch. After one long throw Aggie takes off. And doesn't come back. Ben looks and looks for his pet, but eventually he must go home. With his parents' help, he makes and puts up posters. Yet Aggie remains lost and Ben spends an awful night alone, wondering what happened to her. The next day he encounters a blind man in the park, who encourages him to use all his senses to find his dog. Success! Frank W. Dormer's illustrations are inventive as always. A sure crowd pleaser.

Time Is Running Out! Get Those Nominations In!

2011-10-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

The deadline for nominating books and apps for the Cybils ends on October 15th--that's tomorrow, folks! So head on over to the Cybils blog and nomination your favorites in kidlit. (You get to nominate only one in each category.) The form is here.

11 Experiments That Failed

2011-10-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

I loved this picture book by the team that created 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore! But I'd think twice before putting it in the hands of children. Why? They might be tempted to try one of these zany experiments on their own. I know I would have. When I was seven or so I learned that as a child my father stuck coins up his nose to see how many could fit. My grandparents couldn't extract them and a doctor was called. What did I do upon hearing this? You guessed it, I promptly shoved a dime up my little nose. If this book was available then, who knows what havoc I would have caused.

My experiment was nothing compared to the 11 ones here, which progressively get more outlandish. The format for each experiment is structured according to the scientific method--with hilarious results: a question, such as "Will a piece of bologna fly like a Frisbee?", a hypothesis--A piece of bologna will fly like a Frisbee.", the steps of what to do--"Take bologna off your sandwich. Aim at friend. Shout 'Catch!' Hurl bologna through air.", and what happened--"Teacher caught bologna with his head. No recess."

By the last experiment the girl protagonist has grown fungus in her brother's sneaker, sprinkled glitter on the dog, attempted to order a beaver, used up her mother's expensive bottle of perfume, broken all the family's dishes in the washing machine, and flooded the house. All in the name of science!

The illustrations are a fun mix of pen-and-ink drawings, notebook sketches, photos, and diagrams. Budding mad scientists will snatch this excellent picture books off the shelves. You may want to put it out of reach!

11 Experiments That Failed
by Jenny Offill
illustrations by Nancy Carpenter
Schwartz & Wade books, 40 pages
Published: September 2011

I Want My Hat Back

2011-10-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

The premise of this easy-to-read picture book is simple. A bear has lost his hat. He wants it back. He proceeds through the forest asking the creatures he meets if they have seen it. Eventually, he locates his hat.

Hmmmm. War and Peace it ain't. How can such a plot-lite book be so hysterically funny? Trust me, it can. The answer lies in what isn't said in this minimalistic and clever romp. Keen-eyed viewers will spot the missing hat long before the bear does. His reaction when he finally realizes where he has seen it is priceless, and the ultimate outcome, in which justice is served, perhaps is a tad unsettling, although nothing a connoisseur of nursery tales would bat an eye at.

The simple text (the font in separate colors for each speaker) is understated and droll, as is the art. Klassen's bear protagonist looks steadily ahead, without expression, throughout most of the book. The exception comes at the story's climax, when his eyes open wide as the truth dawns. Kids will delight in finding the hat long before the bear and are sure to giggle when they decipher the punchline at the end. Highly recommended.

Other reviews at: Jen Robinson's Book Page, books4yourkids, A Fuse #8 Production

I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press, 40 pages
Published: September 2011

The Boy Who Bit Picasso

2011-10-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ouch! Antony Penrose, the author of this kid-friendly memoir, is the boy in question, and he did indeed bite the world-famous artist in the middle of a playful romp. Picasso, not one to be outdone, bit him back, announcing that he was the first Englishman he'd ever bitten. What an honor!

This delightful book provides an intimate look at the unlikely friendship between a small boy and the one of the greatest artists of all times. Penrose writes conversationally to his young audience and lets them in on what it was like to know Picasso. Penrose, the child of Lee Miller, a photographer and renowned beauty, and Roland Penrose, an artist and writer, grew up on Farley Farm in East Sussex, England. Picasso, friends with both his parents, visited them at the farm. The Penrose family returned the favor and travelled to the south of France to stay with Picasso.

Penrose shows readers a kid's-eye view of Picasso, describing his love of animals (his goat Esmeralda was allowed inside his home), his playfulness, and his love of disguises. Throughout, Picasso's art shines. We see how he constantly created art out of whatever was at hand, turning broken bits of pots into sculpture and using a discarded toy car as a monkey's face. The message--that creating art is a joyful act, one that is natural and accessible to anyone willing to think outside the box--comes through loud and clear. The book is lavishly illustrated with photos of Picasso, his family and friends, his studio, and most of all his amazing body of work. Young readers will want to revisit this book again and again. I know I do!

This portrait of Lee Miller, Antony Penrose's mother, was painted by Picasso in 1937.

The Boy Who Bit Picasso
by Antony Penrose
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 48 pages
Published: 2011

Nonfiction Monday is at Practically Paradise today.

Here Comes the Judge!

2011-09-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

The cat is out of the bag! The judges in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category for the 2011 Cybils were announced today, and I'm on the first round panel. Yeah! I'm honored to have been chosen and more than a little excited. I'm looking forward to reading and rereading the nominated books (nominations start October 1st so be sure to weigh in with your favorites) and chewing over their merits with my fellow judges.

On a personal note, I'm leaving today for a week-long honeymoon in Florence, Italy. Don't know how much blogging I'll get in (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), but I'll be back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to roll up my sleeves and tackle those Cybils nominations.

Ciao!

Books I Want to (and Do) Reread

2011-09-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with ten books to complete The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten lists. Not this week's! This one was a snap. In fact, I could have kept on going. I love rereading old favorites (especially mysteries) and sometimes I have to stop myself and remember to crack open the pages of some new books.

1. Every Day Is Mother's Day by Hilary Mantel
I'm not sure why I like this novel so much, but I do, and feel the need to reread it every couple of years. The characters are strange and act unfathomably most of the time. Just like life, I guess.

2. Dover mystery series by Joyce Porter
The belligerent and oafish Chief Inspector Wilfred Dover is one of the most comic characters of all time. I laugh out loud whenever I reread any of the ten novels in the series.

3. Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell
A wonderful and touching suspense novel about a grieving mother who suddenly finds herself caring for a child kidnapped by her mother. My favorite Rendell novel and that's saying something.

4. Clara: The Early Years by Margo Kaufman
As a pug lover, I've read a lot of books about the breed. No one can top Kaufman, though. She is such a witty writer, and in this memoir of sorts she describes how she fell under the spell of Clara, a pug diva. Kaufman captures the breed to perfection.

5. Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
A group of elderly friends are troubled by prank telephone calls that inform them: "Remember you must die." Spark is dead on in her insightful novel about old age. Masterpiece Theater serialized this back in the 80s, I think, and it was gripping. I'd love to rewatch someday.

6. Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
I used to reread this hilarious novel all the time. Then I lent my copy and never got it back. It's time to remedy that.

7. Ladder of Years of Anne Tyler
Feeling unappreciated and unnoticed, a middle-age woman walks out on her husband and children one day. Now that must be every woman's secret fantasy!

8. Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright

A quiet novel about cousins who find an abandoned colony of summer houses and secretly take possession of one of them. Loved it when I read it as a child and I still do.

9. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

Everyone should be required to reread this classic. It breaks my heart every time.

10. The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White
A refresher course on how to write well, this short guide always inspires me to write succinctly.

Pomelo Begins to Grow

2011-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Pomelo, a pink erasure of an elephant with an extremely long and expressive trunk, is surprised to find a familiar dandelion looking small. Wonder of wonders, he's getting bigger! His growth spurt brings with it a lot of questions. To wit...

* Is he too big for his world?
* What if he doesn't grow equally all over?
* Does everyone grow at the same speed?
* Will he have to stop clowning around?
* Does growing up mean growing old?

Pomelo ponders these and other questions as he wanders through the pages of this unusual picture book. Without a traditional storyline, certain readers may chafe at Pomelo's philosophical musings, but many more will no doubt discover that his worries and concerns match their own. The whimsical, dream-like illustrations alternate between Pomelo wandering in a garden setting overflowing with produce, insects, snails and other friendly creatures and surreal images of his thoughts, such as a cutaway that shows an assembly plant inside him. By the end, Pomelo realizes that growing brings with it the joy of new experiences as well as responsibilities. And he's okay with that.

The book originally was published in France and was translated. The copyeditor in me did notice a typo in: "There's no question, he want's to know more." ("want's" should be "wants"). But hopefully that will be corrected in the next edition.

Pomelo Begins to Grow
by Ramona Badescu
illustrations by Benjamin Chaud
Enchanted Lion Books, 48 pages
Published: August 2011

Twenty Years Ago Today . . .

2011-09-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Theodor Geisel died. Pay tribute to him by rereading your favorite Dr. Seuss book. Mine? The Sneetches.

Quote of the Week

2011-09-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."

~ Francis Bacon

"To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."

~ Edmund Burke

International Peace Day

2011-09-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, September 21st, was International Peace Day, and the elementary school down the block from where I live commemorated the occasion by installing the giant dove you see above. (To me, it looks like a goose, but I'm pretty sure it's meant to be a dove.)

Now it's September 22nd, but that shouldn't mean striving for peace is put on a shelf until next year. Here are some books to share with young readers to keep the flame alive.

Children learn how to say the word peace in different languages.

Can You Say Peace?
by Karen Katz
Henry Holt, 32 pages
Published: 2006

Remember the classic ballad, "Let There Be Peace on Earth"? Caldecott winner David Diaz illustrates the lyrics as only he can. Audio CD of 12 peace-centric songs included.

Let There Be Peace on Earth
and Let It Begin with Me
by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller
illustrations by David Diaz
Tricycle Press, 32 pages
Published; 2009

What does the word peace really mean? Children from around the world share their own unique answers.

What Does Peace Feel Like
by Vladimir Radunsky
Atheneum Books, 24 pages
Published: 2004

Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Moi

2011-09-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Our friends over at The Broke and the Bookish want to know what classic/popular books you haven't read but everyone else has. Here's my list.

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Okay, I did read the first one but wasn't inspired to read the others.

2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Never got around to The Lord of the Rings either.

3. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
Just celebrated its 50th year anniversary.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
50th anniversary was last year.

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
And I'm a mystery fan.

6. The Giver by Lois Lowry.
Love her other novels, yet never got around to reading her most popular one.

7. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Read Her Fearful Symmetry and didn't care for it.

8. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.
I've heard again and again how great this trilogy is. One day.

9. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman.
Lately I've been reading--and enjoying-- a lot of graphic novels so I really should read the one that started the trend.

10. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.
Although I've read a few of his lesser-known novels, I haven't read the big ones, including Great Expectations, Bleak House, etc. I enjoy Dickens, so I should read more of him, but his novels are soooo long.

Hocus Pocus

2011-09-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Just as Jerry had to constantly outwit Tom in those old MGM cartoons, so does Hocus Pocus, a magician's rabbit, use all his smarts to keep two steps ahead of Dog in this mostly wordless picture book. The exceptions--Crash, Swat, Flump, Crunch, Splash, Grrr, Splat--give you an idea of how action packed the story is, as Hocus Pocus tries to snag a carrot from the snoozing magician's grocery bag while Dog does everything in his powers to prevent the theft. The upshot in these classic David-and-Goliath battles always comes out in favor of the little guy. Hocus Pocus does not break new ground, but the two animals' antics as they try to best each other will keep beginning readers amused. The cheerful digital illustrations are easy to "read" and with their many panels the book will give little ones the sense of perusing a much older graphic novel.

Hocus Pocus
by Sylvie Desrosiers
illustrations by Remy Simard
Kids Can Press, 48 pages
Published: 2011

The Book with a Hole

2011-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Herve Tullet, the genius behind Press Here, has another engaging, interactive book out. The Book with a Hole will provide children with hours of fun. I know because I had a ball just pouring over its pages. Each spread opens to a giant hole splat in the middle surrounded by a black and white illustration. A question or direction invites the viewer to complete the hole in some way. For instance, a spread showing a portrait of a weird-looking three-eye creature with the hole for its mouth asks: "What are you going to feed it?" Other spreads encourage kids to place their own face over a hole to become a king or queen or a photo in a frame. Another instructs them to crumple a piece of paper and play a game of basketball through a hoop. There's also a board game where kids get to make up the rules and a curvy track to race around without crashing. Kids can use their fingers to give a man strange-looking teeth and their arm to give an elephant its trunk. Hand kids this book and step out of the way. Their imaginations will take over and go "hole" hog. Highly recommended.

Here's my attempt to answer the question: "What's going to jump out?" Many thanks to my model and loyal pug, Pablo, for being such a good sport!

The Book with a Hole
by Herve Tullet
Abrams, 96 pages
Published: 2011

Happy Birthday Tomie dePaola!

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, September 15th, is the 77th birthday of Tomie dePaola. This giant in the field of children's literature got his start way back in 1965 when the first children's book he illustrated, Sound, was published. He then went on to write/illustrate more than 200 books, including the Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona (1975) and the Newbery Honor book 26 Fairmount Avenue (1999). In honor of the doubly lucky number 77, here are seven facts you might or might not know about Tomie:

1. At age four, he wanted to be an artist, a writer, and a tap dancer. He's been all three.

2. After graduating from Pratt, a NYC art school, he went to a priory in Vermont to become a Benedictine monk before discovering the lifestyle wasn't for him.

3. His favorite food is popcorn, about which he wrote a book, aptly titled Popcorn.

4. His favorite of all his books is Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs.

5. His grandmother was the model for the grandmother in Watch Out for Chicken Feet in Your Soup.

6. A dog lover, his current pooch is an Airedale named Bronte.

7. And remember Barney, the purple dinosaur and star of Barney & Friends on PBS? Well, Tomie appeared in several episodes of the show, playing himself.

To find out more, visit Tomie's blog.

And check out this great tribute in honor of dePaola's 75th birthday. Three Kisses for Tomie features artwork by children's book illustrators commemorating him. My favorite? Erin Eitter Kono's "Arrangement in Grey and Black."

A Few Blocks

2011-09-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

My next door neighbor's little girl was on her way to her first day of school today, and she was so proud, sashaying off with a new pink backpack on her shoulders. She didn't seem to have any trepidation about what was in store, but not every child is so lucky. Take Ferdie, the young protagonist of A Few Blocks by Cybele Young. He doesn't want to go to school. Not now. Maybe never.

Big sister Viola doesn't badger Ferdie. She just holds out his jacket and tells him it's his superfast cape. "Quick--put on your rocket-blaster boots and we'll take off!" Their imaginations propel the children for a block until Ferdie's rockets run out of fuel. Each time Viola comes to the rescue, coming up with another exciting adventure that gets them going. They travel by rocket-fueled footwear, by ship, and on horseback. Then, surprisingly, it's Viola who conks out and it's up to Ferdie to keep them going that one last block.

As the children switch back and forth from their magical adventures to the mundane, so do the illustrations. The everyday world is shown in shades of black and white, while their fantasy world is fashioned from vivid intricate 3-D paper sculptures that the artist created. Not surprisingly, Young is an artist who specializes in paper sculture. She has illustrated picture books in the past, most notably Ten Birds, a counting book. In A Few Blocks she refreshingly shows the special bond that exists between siblings.

A Few Blocks
by Cybele Young
Groundwood Books, 32 pages
Published: August 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-09-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

"Love is friendship set on fire."

~ Jeremy Taylor

Wedded Bliss

2011-09-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been quite the week! Not only did The Cath in the Hat reach its first blogiversity on September 6th, but its writer, yours truly, tied the knot this past Sunday. An avid pug lover, our wedding invitations featured two brachycephalic-challenged canines dressed as bride and groom. There's no shortage of animals standing in for humans in children's literature, so I wondered what sort of creatures took vows in picture books. Here's what I discovered.

Two alligators celebrate their reptilian nuptials in a swamp in Nancy Jewell's Alligator Wedding, with illustrations by J. Rutland (2010). The betrothed and their guests chow down on Creole crab cakes and gator gumbo stew (which sounds a bite cannibalistic). Then they dance to the Big Beast Boogie, the Reptile Romp, and the Gumbo Gator Gallop before the newlyweds take off on their honeymoon barge to disastrous results.

Luckily we didn't have this problem at our do--stinky guests! But Curlytail and Porker have invited porcine friends who smell a bit ripe. Their solution? To hose everyone down and then dress them up by painting on their wedding finery. After a splendid ceremony and reception, a sudden downpour leads to more creative solutions. Written and illustrated by the wonderful Helme Heine (1991).

Angelina is in mouse heaven. She has been asked to be a bridesmaid at the royal wedding of Princess Eliza to Crown Prince Ratofsky. After much preparation, she sets off to the palace. Minutes before the ceremony, Angelina and a fellow bridesmaid accidentally become lost in a remote tower in the palace gardens. Readers of this long-time series, written by Katharine Holabird and illustrated by Helen Craig, will be on pins and needles, wondering if the mice make it to the wedding on time.

Eve Bunting's The Wedding is a sweet tale about a Brindle Cow who good-naturely agrees to carry an assortment of frazzled animals to a wedding they are all late for. A pig is the organist, a turtle, the florist, and a duck the pastor. More and more creatures pile on the bovine's broad back, and the cow accepts them all. When the group reach the church doors, there's a wonderful surprise in store. Illustrations by Iza Trapani (2003).

I couldn't resist adding The Rabbits' Wedding by Garth Williams. Published in 1958, the picture book caused quite a stir back in the day. What controversy could there be about two dear creatures who wish to be together "forever and always"? The answer lies in Williams' lovely illustrations showing a black rabbit groom and a white rabbit bride. That's right, folks, segregation reared its ugly head and the uproar even caused the book to be removed from library shelves in Alabama.

Of all the books mentioned today, this one best expressed my feelings about two people, alligators, pigs, mice, rabbits, what-have-yous, pledging their love.

"What are you always thinking about?"
asked the little white rabbit.
"I'm just thinking about my wish," replied the little black rabbit.
"What is your wish?" asked the little white rabbit.
"I just wish that I could be with you forever and always,"
replied the little black rabbit.
The little white rabbit opened her eyes very wide
and thought very hard.
"Why don't you wish a little harder?"
asked the little white rabbit.

This weekend our wish was granted.

Too Many Frogs

2011-08-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Got frogs? Nana Quimby does; she has way too many of them. Her troubles start when her basement floods. A plumber soon fixes the leak, but as Nana Quimby bakes a cake, she hears a thump at the cellar door. She opens it and ten frogs hop in. A girl advises her to put them in a goldfish bowl. She does; but then twenty new amphibians appear, then thirty, then forty, and on and on. Each time a neighborhood child offers helpful advice which Nana heeds. But when a million frogs hop into her kitchen, the children have left and Nana Quimby is on her own. How she solves her dilemma makes a satisfying conclusion that comes full circle.

Whimsical illustrations in soothing tones of pastel offset the busyness of the frog frenzy that spill across the pages. The picture book's structured setup and repetitious phrases will help beginning readers decode the text. All in all, a zany, fun read that is sure to give children a case of the giggles.

Too Many Frogs
by Ann and John Hassett
Houghton Mifflin, 32 pages
Published: July 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-08-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Dog Day:

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

~ Groucho Marx

A Walk in London

2011-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

London has to be my favorite city. Every street you pass, there's just so much to see and do. Salvatore Rubbino, author/illustrator of the acclaimed picture book A Walk in New York, has completed a companion book, this one featuring the city where he resides. A mother and daughter alight from a double-decker bus just in time to hear Big Ben striking eleven. The pair explore the city, starting with a stroll through St. James's Park. They go past Buckingham Palace, visit Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and St. Paul's Cathedral. They tour the Bank of England and the Tower of London and finally take a ferry on the Thames back to where they started.

A Walk in London is jammed with interesting tidbits. Did you know:

Buckingham Palace has its own post office?
More planes fly over London than any other city in the world?
A whisper on one side of St. Paul's Cathedral's dome can be heard 105 feet away?

Rubbino's lively illustrations are equally impressive, filled as they are with detail upon detail. The spread showcasing St. James's Park focuses on tourists taking photos and feeding the water fowl in the lake, while in the background cricket players are at bat. A foldout of the Thames gives readers a panoramic view of the many buildings along both river banks. There's way too much info to absorb in one sitting, so, like the city itself, this book bears repeated visits.

A Walk in London
by Salvatore Rubbino
Candlewick Press, 40 pages
Published: 2011

Top Ten (Children's) Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

2011-08-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some children's books I never had an opportunity to mention. Quite a few of them are strange, but then so am I. Go to The Broke and the Bookish for more posts on this subject.

#1

Although I don't condone cruelty to slugs, I find this book hysterical. Told in rhyme, it begins: "Swallow a Slug/By its tail or its snout/Feel it slide down/Feel it climb out." The illustrations by Victoria Chess just add to the fun.

#2

I own--and love--a pug, but bull terriers would be my next choice. Like pugs, they are such clowns. Pia Lindenbaum captures a child's love for her pet. The child narrator firmly believes her pet is the smartest, most energetic watchdog that ever lived. The humorous illustrations suggest the opposite.

#3

I can't imagine a kid not enjoying this irreverent look at how food passes through the digestive system. It's a hoot and yet completely factual (well, the text is). As an added bonus, it's written in both English and Spanish.

#4

Another picture book about a dog. Theodore is Mr. Balbini's dog and, one day, out of the blue, he starts to speak. Things are never quite the same, and Mr. Balbini finds himself yearning for his old, quiet life. The resolution is surprising and yet deeply satisfying.

#5

Molly Bang, an award-winning picture book illustrator, uses the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" to show the power of line, shape, and color to influence our emotions. Fascinating.

The next five are middle-grade chapter books by Eva Ibbotson, who died last year at age 85. How I missed this outstanding children's book author, I'll never know. I've been devouring her books ever since.

#6

A wizard holds a contest to find a wife.

#7

A family of ghosts protect an orphan from greedy relatives after his money.

#8

A young ghost and a boy band together to provide sanctuary for homeless ghosts everywhere.

#9

Dwellers from a magical island travel to London to find their kidnapped prince and restore him to the throne.

#10

A boy and girl help protect a magical island and its creatures from the dangers of the outside world.

So that's my list. What books have slipped through your reviewer's fingers?

When Will It Be Fall Already?

2011-08-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Those last days of summer, when you've overdosed on corn on the cob and ice cream cones and endless games of tag and the air lies hot and heavy. Suddenly, crisp air and the thought of school doesn't seem as awful as it did back in June. Maybe a tiny bit of you actually looks forward to cracking open a book or two. At least that's how it was for me, back in the day.

I'm starting to get that same feeling of anticipation, and so I'm looking ahead to some of the new books for beginning readers due out this fall. I can't wait!

Originally published in magazines, these seven stories by Dr. Seuss have been collected in one collection. Yippee!

A bear has lost his hat. He wants it back. Jon Klassen's deadpan illustration make me itch to get my hands on this one.

Fifty cartoonists came together to create this book, each one transforming a classic nursery rhyme. Nick Bruel, Gahan Wilson, David Macaulay, Jules Feiffer, the list goes on and on. What a great idea.

What would fall be without a book by Mo Willems? Luckily we won't have to find out. Elephant and Piggie are back and the festivities are about to begin. Hooray!

Next week I'll post some chapter books that are making me drool. What fall books are you looking forward to?

Quote of the Week

2011-08-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

"A book is meant not only to be read, but to haunt you, to importune you like a lover or a parent, to stick in your teeth like a piece of gristle."

~ Anatole Broyard

The One and Only Stuey Lewis

2011-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Stuey Lewis is only three days into second grade and he's already had it with school. The reason? He's still "wicked slow at reading" and worries that his classmates will find out. Thanks to his understanding teacher, by the end of second grade Stuey has become a proficient reader and is looking forward with confidence to third grade.

Four linked stories tell the story of Stuey's year in second grade in which he masters reading, devises an ingenious "Halloween Caper" to haul in extra candy, tries out for "bitty league soccer," and discovers that being nice to a fellow classmate, the annoying Lilly, isn't the end of the world.

Stuey's relationships are realistically portrayed. Although his father moved out, the two talk frequently on the phone. His older brother, Anthony, might call his younger brother "Stu-pid"all the time, but he's there to give encouragement at the big soccer game. And Ms. Curtis, the second grade teacher who prefers to be called Ginger, is firmly in Stuey's corner as he navigates the demands of second grade.

Jane Schoenberg's first chapter book is a humorous take on the trials and tribulations of second grade and will appeal to young readers graduating to chapter books. The delightful black-and-white illustrations by Cambria Evans compliment the text, emphasizing its humor. A sequel, Stuey Lewis Against All Odds, is due out in spring of 2012.

The One and Only Stuey Lewis
by Jane Schoenberg
illustrations by Cambria Evans
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 128 pages
Published: July 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-08-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

"Without sufficient money for a meal I have spent the few pence I possessed to obtain from a library one of Scott's novels, and, reading it, forgot hunger and cold, and felt myself rich and happy."

~ Hans Christian Andersen

Summer Jackson Grown Up

2011-08-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Seven-year-old Summer Jackson is itching to be a grown-up. As she sees it: "Two scoops of ice cream are not enough. Hand puppets are not that funny. And eight o'clock is way too early for bed." So Summer says goodbye to childhood, dons a blazer and high heels, and starts a career as a consultant, charging her classmates for her services. Her parents go along with their daughter's ambitions and, by abdicating their responsibilities, gently get her to see the downside of being the sole grown-up of the family. Doing dishes is no fun!

First-time author Teresa Harris gives us an engaging, modern character in Summer Jackson. Her feisty protagonist clearly knows her own mind, and she's not afraid of going after what she wants. AG Ford's illustrations show us Summer in action, clomping around in her high heels and wearing her sunglasses in the tub. All in all, this is an enjoyable picture book to share with young readers eager to reach their next birthday. It put me in mind of Amy Schwartz's wonderfully sly Bea & Mr. Jones, a picture book in which a kindergarden and her dad switch places with surprising results. Great fun!

Summer Jackson Grown Up
by Teresa E. Harris
illustrations by AG Ford
Katherine Tegen Books, 32 pages
Publication: May 2011

Bone Dog

2011-08-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

One of the rules I live by is not to read anything in which a dog dies, and that includes picture books. I made an exception for Bone Dog, by Caldecott medalist Eric Rohmann. Ella, an old dog, tells Gus, the boy who loves her, that she won't be around much longer. "But no matter what happens, I'll always be with you," she promises. How Ella keeps her promise is the charm behind this picture book, perfect for Halloween, or any old day.

Although the book might be scary for some young readers (a skeleton crew ambushes Gus in a cemetery), on the whole humor dominates, as when the skeletons tell Gus, "You've got guts kid...but not for long." And the ending message, that a dog's loyalty knows no bounds, is ultimately reassuring. Rohmann's signature style of dark outlines underscores the dramatic cemetery setting and is guaranteed to send shivers up readers' spines. Don't wait for Halloween for this one, check it out now.

Bone Dog
by Eric Rohmann
Roaring Brook Press, 32 pages
Published: July, 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-07-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

~ Albert Einstein

July 2011 I Can Read Carnival

2011-07-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

Fittingly for July, this month's round-up of posts is a spectacular display. Click through and read the wonderful contributions and see for yourself. A big thanks to everyone who posted!

Jennifer from Jean Little Library reviews a nonfiction early reader collection about backyard wildlife. Squirrels and Raccoons and Chipmunks. Oh, my!

Picky readers will love this one. Lisa Taylor from Shelf-Employed shares a review of Josh Schneider's Tales For Very Picky Eaters. Yum!

Katie at Sharing Secrets & Soda reviews My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems.

Another Elephant and Piggie post! This one is from Mary Lee at A Year of Reading. She fills us in on why she loves Mo Willem's endearing characters.

A spunky new third grader is on the scene! Franki from A Year of Reading reviews Michael Scotto's Latasha and the Little Red Tornado, a chapter book with illustrations.

Roberta Gibson at Wrapped in Foil has two posts to share. The first, a review of Carrots Grow Underground, includes links to carrot-realted activities that Bugs Bunny would love. The second is a review of Blueberries Grow on a Bush and it also includes fun related activities. Did you know you can use blueberries to paint?

Heidi Grange over at Geo Librarian reviews a National Geographical early reader series featuring such fascinating animals as sea turtles, dolphins, cheetahs, sharks, bats, and snakes.

Mary Ann Scheuer from Great Kid Books wants to keep kids busy during the summer months. She reviews a bunch of activity books for kids ages 5 to 8 that will do just that.

Litland gives a stellar review to Astro the Steller Sea Lion, true tale about an orphaned sea lion pup who refuses to leave his happy home at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA.

And here's a timely subject. Anastasia Suen over at Chapter Book of the Day reviews Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day by Jean Van Leeuwen.

Beginning readers can develop their reading skills when they recite and perform poems from The Gooch Machine, reviewed by Brod Bagert at Booksicals.

Victoria of ObSEUSSed tells how she motivates her early reader to keep reading through incentive bookmarks.

And last, but not least, here is my review of Clementine and the Family Meeting, #5 in Sara Pennypacker's outstanding series and due out in September.

Enjoy!

Clementine and the Family Meeting

2011-07-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Clementine is back, and #5 in the series is as fresh as the first. What keeps this series strong is the main character's appealing and oh-so-believeable voice. Unquenchable as ever, the third-grader with the fruit name has a lot to deal with in Clementine and the Family Meeting, starting with the dreaded meeting. As she puts it: "Because even though my parents say they are about things we have to talk over as a family, I have noticed that they are usually about something I am doing wrong."

Not this time. The family meeting brings unexpected news to Clementine and her little brother--they are going to have another sibling. Clementine is less than pleased, and, like many young children, would rather things stay the same. But change is everywhere. Her best friend Margaret has become obsessed with becoming a make-up artist and talks nonstop about moving to California to live with her father. At school, Eighteen, a rat from science class, has disappeared and Clementine worries for his safety. Eighteen was also her science project, and now that he's missing, her partner is trying to convince her to use one of his many superpowers as a substitute project. Rounding things off, her favorite hat, knitted for her by her grandmother, is missing and her dad refuses to let her try on his new tool belt.

Like the very best Seinfeld episodes, all the different plot strands come together in the end, prompting Clementine to call her own family meeting. Clementine's transformation from disgruntled sister to enthusiastic one is convincingly shown, and will leave readers eagerly waiting the next book. Hopefully Mushroom Soup (Clementine's unofficial name for her newest sibling) will be making an appearance.

Clementine and the Family Meeting
by Sara Pennypacker
illustrations by Marla Frazee
Hyperion, 160 pages
Published: September 13, 2011

This title was reviewed from NetGalley.

Spinster Goose: Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children

2011-07-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

Gum chewers, thieves, liars, cheats, some children are too naughty for Mother Goose to handle. So she ships these troublemakers off to her sister's school for wayward brats. Spinster Goose runs a tight ship and doesn't tolerate misbehavior.

The pinchers get pinched,
and the pokers get poked.
The biters get bit,
and the smokers get smoked.
The takers get taken.
The sordid get sore.
The shakers get shaken
right down to their core.

Lisa Wheeler has taken familiar rhymes from Mother Goose and subverted them. Readers will delight in finding their favorite characters in new guises. Mary still brings her lamb to school, but the young lady is a big fibber and claims her pet is a horse. Jack and Jill ditch class to climb that hill, and Little Miss Muffet dines on chalk, not curds and whey. All get their comeuppance. Sophie Blackall's sublime illustrations are worth the price of admission alone. She must have been channeling Edward Gorey when she drew her cast of ghastly characters. Great fun!

Spinster Goose: Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children
by Lisa Wheeler
illustrations by Sophie Blackall
Atheneum, 48 pages
Published: 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-07-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

"A good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense."

~ Vladimir Nabokov

Submit to the July I Can Read Carnival

2011-07-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Calling all Kidlit bloggers! The Cath in the Hat is hosting this month's I Can Read Carnival, a monthly meme that highlights easy readers and illustrated chapter books. For the next week I will be collecting any and all posts that relate to learning to read. Book reviews, author interviews, teaching tips--bring them on. And don't feel you need to write a special post for this meme. You can recycle a previous post of up to a year old as long as fits the I Can Read theme. First timers, don't be shy!

To submit, please either comment here with a link to your post, or send an email to catjnichols@gmail.com, between now and Wednesday, July 27th. I will post the round-up first thing on Thursday morning.

To get an idea of what the Carnival is all about, take a gander at these previous round-ups.

June 2011 @ Secrets & Sharing Soda
May 2011 @ Playing By the Book
April 2011 @ Jean Little Library

Prudence Wants a Pet

2011-07-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Poor Prudence. She wants a pet. Bad. Real bad. Her parents deny her repeated requests. Pets are expensive; they make noise; they take up too much space; they're messy. But Prudence is one determined little girl. If her parents won't give her a pet, she'll find her own. And so she does.

Her first pet is a branch. Prudence takes excellent care of Branch. Then one day her dad trips on Branch and her pet is broken into bits and delegated to the wood pile. Undeterred, Prudence gets a new pet--Twig. And so it goes. She makes a pet out of her dad's shoe, a car tire, and even her baby brother Milo. Readers will be rooting for Prudence and her quest to finally get the pet of her dreams.

Prudence Wants a Pet is a must-read picture book for any child who's ever wanted a pet of his or her own, and let's face it, that includes just about every child on the planet. The sly, humorous text is written in short, easy-to-read sentences, making it a good choice for beginning readers. And the cartoon-like illustrations are a riot, as we see Prudence enthusiastically react to each new pet she adopts. Highly recommended.

Prudence Wants a Pet
by Cathleen Daly
illustrations by Stephen Michael King
Roaring Brook Press, 32 pages
Published: June 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-07-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

"There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we believe we left without having lived them, those we spent with a favorite book."

~ Marcel Proust

Fractions = Trouble!

2011-07-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Boy, don't they! Fractions and I have never been friends. So I can completely identify with the hero of this appealing chapter book, a sequel to 7 x 9 = Trouble! Wilson never met a fraction he liked. He'd much rather play with his new pet hamster Pip (short for Pipsqueak). Instead, his parents inform him he'll have to start seeing a math tutor. Wilson is determined to keep his secret a secret--from his classmates and especially from his best friend, Josh, who's great at math. A subplot concerns the two boys' attempts at devising a winning science project. Josh wants to know if pickles can be made to explode. Wilson only knows that hamsters will figure in his.

Wilson is a believable third-grader with third-grade-size problems. Claudia Mills takes these problems seriously but still manages to let the fun shine through. G. Brian Karas's black-and-white cartoon-style illustrations add to the book's charm. Fans of Johanna Hurwitz's Monty series and Barbara Seuling's Robert books will enjoy reading about Wilson.

And as we learn from an author's note at the end of the book, Mills was also bad at math. And she ended up more than okay. Her books will bring hope to all of us who tremble at the sight of a numerator and denominator. Now which is which again?

Fractions = Trouble!
by Claudia Mills
illustrations by G. Brian Karas
Farrar Straus Giroux, 128 pages
Published: June, 2011

Cork & Fuzz: The Swimming Lesson

2011-07-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Cork the muskrat got his name because he's a natural in the water. Not so his friend Fuzz the possum. He sinks like lead. So when Cork invites Fuzz to his house to play, Fuzz regretfully declines. Cork, however, is determined to teach his friend how to swim. Like any landlubber, Fuzz doesn't even want to get his feet wet. So Cork starts by teaching him on the grass. When faced with actual water, Fuzz chickens out and decides it would be safer to crawl along a long branch that reaches almost to Cork's lodge and then jump down. Except it doesn't quite work out that way. Fuzz topples from the branch straight into the lake below. With Cork shouting instructions, he puts the lessons he learned to good use and paddles to Cork's house. Success! Tomorrow brings a new challenge. That's the day Fuzz plans on teaching Cork how to climb a tree. Uh-oh!

Dori Chaconas has fashioned another fun tale about this unlikely duo for beginning readers. Like the best early readers, most of the text is conveyed through natural-sounding dialog and key vocabulary words are seamlessly repeated without appearing obvious. Lisa McCue is a wizard at portraying appealing looking critters, and her muskrat and possum characters are no exception.

Cork & Fuzz: The Swimming Lesson
by Dori Chaconas
illustrations by Liza McCue
Viking, 32 pages
Published: 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-07-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

"Each in his own way imagines Paradise; since childhood I have envisioned it as a library."

~ Jorge Luis Borges

Tales for Very Picky Eaters

2011-07-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

I was not a picky eater as a child. Of course, there were a few foods I didn't care for (succotash, anyone?), but overall I ate and enjoyed most meals. My daughter was the same. And so for many years I was blissfully unaware of the trials of cooking for a fussy eater. Then I met K, my SO (Significant Other) and soon to be husband. The list of foods he won't eat is jaw-dropping (to me at least). Snow peas are one of the few veggies he likes (along with string beans and fresh greens), and if I never see another green pod in my life it will be too soon.

So I was intrigued to find an early reader with the commanding title: Tales for Very Picky Eaters. Josh Schneider, the author-illustrator, got one thing right--the types of foods picky eaters don't like and the reasons why. The five tales feature the following foods: "disgusting broccoli," "smelly lasagna" (the kind with mushrooms), "repulsive milk," "lumpy oatmeal," and "slimy eggs." In each tale, James is served one of these foods, and like any self-respecting picky eater won't try them. His father attempts to change his mind with some unusual tactics. Since James doesn't want to try broccoli, what about some dirt? Not just any dirt, mind you, but dirt that's been "walked on by the most skilled chefs wearing the finest French boots." Or some gum previously chewed by children with especially clean teeth? Or socks worn by a runner fed nothing but apples and cinnamon? Faced with these alternatives, James agrees to the broccoli. So it goes with the other foods. James tries the lasagna to avoid sending its maker, a troll who lives in their basement, back to the rat circus. He samples the oatmeal so it won't grow into a mushy monster that overtakes the house.

The father's outlandish tall tales are amusing, as are the illustrations of them, especially the oatmeal monster with bits of the family's belongings stuck in it. Will they actually get a picky eater to try a detested food? Not one bit. Will they get a reluctant reader to devour the book in one sitting? You bet.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters
by John Schneider
Clarion Books, 48 pages
Published: May 2011

An Interview with Stephanie Barden

2011-07-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Cinderella Smith, a chapter book about Josephine-Kathryn Smith, aka Cinderella, a girl who loses shoes at the drop of a hat. Stephanie Barden, the first-time author of this engaging read, popped over to The Cath in the Hat for an interview. Here's what she had to say.

First question--How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Ha -- fun question! I own about 25 pairs, including tennis shoes (3), hiking boots (2), and flip-flops (2) -- is that a lot? I seem to have an overabundance of black though -- I think I need to add some color. I like shoes, but they have to be comfortable -- no super high heels for me!

What inspired you to start writing?
I used to think it was my son getting older that did it, but I think maybe it was a crow. I had a fun/funny relationship with one and I shared the stories with everyone who would listen. People kept telling me I should write them down--I finally did and that got me started.

Describe your writing routine.
My goal is to write for four hours four to five days a week. I've done a lousy job up 'til now, but with my son going off to college next year I plan to be much more disciplined.

What writers influenced you?
Hmmm...there are so, so many. In the interest of space I'll share the first five that come to mind: E. L. Konigsburg, Karen Cushman, Beverly Cleary, Ellen Gilchrist and Jean Craighead George.

Tell us a little about your path to publication.
After scribbling about crows for a while, I decided to get serious. I started taking writing classes and joined SCBWI. After I had something I was willing to share with a "professional," I sent a query letter out to twenty agents. I got eighteen "no's," one "maybe" and one "yes." Luckily you just need one, and my "yes" became my agent. We polished up my manuscript, sent it out to editors and found a publisher.

Some authors start with their characters and others with plot. Where do you begin?
It varies a bit from story to story. Usually, though, I have a very sketchy plot in mind that the characters quickly take over and "flesh" out.

What do you find to be the hardest part of writing?
As a mom, wife, daughter, friend, neighbor, aunt--and all the other things we all are--I find the hardest thing is making writing my top priority.

Tell us a little bit about the next book in the series. Will Rosemary T. remain Cinderella's nemesis?
In book 2, The More the Merrier, Cinderella's aunt is taking care of the sisters while their parents are away. She encourages Cinderella to try to straighten things out with Rosemary T., but Cinderella's not so sure that's possible--especially with the All School Spelling Bee and a class party at stake.

Going forward, are you interested in writing for other age groups or other genres? If yes, what would they be?
I'm so enjoying "channeling" Cinderella Smith right now that it's hard to image. I love picture books and YA, though, so who knows?

What advice can you give aspiring writers?
Taking classes and joining a professional network, like SCBWI, is a great way to connect with like-minded, supportive people. Additionally, Karen Cushman shared the following advice and it's taped to my computer so I can read it everyday:

Show up--make a commitment to write.
Pay attention--stuff yourself with honest experiences.
Tell the truth--based on your own beliefs and passions.
Let go of the outcome--publication is only one reason to write.

Thank you for the interview!

And thank you, Stephanie, for your insightful answers. Best of luck with your series!

Quote of the Week

2011-07-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

"What can we see, read, acquire, but ourselves. Take the book, my friend, and read your eyes out, you will never find there what I find."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bad Kitty Meets the Baby

2011-06-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty books just keep getting funnier. His latest is a howl and is sure to go over big with the elementary school crowd. Bad Kitty has been through a lot in this series. She's suffered through a bath, her birthday, and living with Puppy. In the last book, she endured the care of Uncle Murray, the pet sitter. But nothing, I repeat, nothing has prepared her for the arrival of Baby. When Bad Kitty's owners bring home their newly adopted daughter and plunk her down beside the terrified feline, Bad Kitty can't fathom what this strange creature might be. She ultimately decides the drooling, smelly, noisy creature must be a dog.

The neighborhood cats disagree. They're convinced Baby is actually a cat and hold the Pussycat Olympics to celebrate her arrival. The cats compete in the STARE-AT-YOURSELF-IN-A-MIRROR-UNTIL-YOU-GET-BORED competition, the BABBLING-ON-AND-ON-WITHOUT-STOPPING event, the WHO-CAN-CREATE-THE-BIGGEST-STINK event, and THE-EATING-CONTEST. Baby is the undisputed champion in all four, causing Bad Kitty to have a fit of epic proportions. What will it take for Bad Kitty to accept her new nemesis?

Bruel's maniacal black-and-white illustrations go hand-in-hand with the text's wackiness, adding extra bits of fun to compliment the story. Uncle Murray's Fun Facts return and readers (including this one) will learn why cats are experts at climbing trees but not getting back down , as well as some hints on how to teach a cat tricks. Good luck with that one. The only trick my two cats have learned is to come at the sound of a cat food can popping open.

Bad Kitty Meets the Baby is the best in the series, in my humble opinion. Can't wait to see what Bad Kitty's next adventure will be.

Bad Kitty Meets the Baby
by Nick Bruel
Roaring Brook Press, 144 pages
Published: June 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-06-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

"Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

~ G.K. Chesterton

Cinderella Smith

2011-06-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Cinderella Smith didn't get her nickname because she has a wicked stepmother (hers is "just a regular kind of mom who is usually nice but kind of strict.") or because she has mean stepsisters (Tess, her younger sister, is a sweetheart) or because she sleeps next to an ashy fireplace or because she has tons of chores to do. No, Cinderella earned her name because she's always losing shoes. In the course of the story, she misplaces half-a-dozen. Most find their way back to her, except for the one she needs most of all--her brand-new ruby red tap shoe. Without it, she won't be able to dance the coveted lead part of Pumpkin Blossom Fairy in the Autumn Recital.

Luckily, this Cinderella, unlike her fairy-tale namesake, has plenty of pluck, and doesn't require a fairy godmother to solve her problems. Instead she teams up with the new girl in school, Erin, who has her own worries. Her mother is remarrying and she's getting two stepsisters. Will they be mean or nice? Cinderella is all set to help her new friend find out.

First-time author Stephanie Barden successfully juggles both plot lines, putting her young heroine into one scrape after another. Diane Goode's wriggly line drawings capture Cinderella's bouncy, exuberant personality to a tee. A second book, Cinderella Smith and the More the Merrier, will come out next year. Yippee!

Cinderella Smith
by Stephanie Barden
illustrations by Diane Goode
HarperCollins, 160 pages
Published: 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-06-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

"The only end of writing is to enable readers better to enjoy life or better to endure it."

~ Samuel Johnson

Hush, Baby, Hush!

2011-06-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

With a certain other lullaby book all the rage, I thought I'd review one that doesn't require four-letter-words to make baby fall asleep. Hush, Baby, Hush gathers lullabies from all over the world, from Greenland to Turkey to Japan to you name it. After all, wherever there are crying, fussing babies, there are sure to be songs to soothe them.

So many lullabies fill up this book, it's tempting to quote them all. But I'll content myself with sharing my favorites. One from the USA brought back fond memories. My mother sang "All the Pretty Little Horses" to me and my sibs when we were young. Now Mom isn't the greatest singer (sorry, Ma), but for some magical reason that doesn't matter to little ones. The sound of a loved one's voice is reassurance itself.

Another favorite gets right to the point. "Go to Bed Tom" from the UK goes like this:

Go to bed Tom.
Go to bed Tom.
Tired or not, Tom,
Go to bed, Tom!

Kathy Henderson, the author and compiler, shows us the lullabies in their original language along with the English translation. It's instructive to compare the two versions and see how alliteration, repetition, and rhythm are reflected in both. Here's "Sugar, Bread and Butter" from India:

Neeni baba neeni,
Muchan, roti, cheeni,
Muchan, roti hoghia,
Mayrah baba soghia.

You don't need to know Hindi to be soothed by the gentle rhythm of this simple song.

A few lullabies, however, are more likely to keep a child awake than lull him or her to sleep. "Stir, Stir the Chocolate!" from Mexico is as rousing as the caffeine contained in its chocolate. Here is the English version:

Stir, stir the chocolate!
Your nose is like a peanut.
One, two, three, CHO!
One, two, three, CO!
One, two, three, LA!
One, two, three, TE!
Chocolate, chocolate!
Stir, stir the chocolate!
Stir, stir, stir,
Stir, stir the CHOCOLATE!

Try going to sleep after a few rounds of that! The majority of the songs, though, are true lullabies. A lovely lullaby from Spain begins:

Go to sleep my baby,
Go to sleep sunshine,
Go to sleep you piece of this heart of mine.

The illustrations by Pam Smy are true to each song's origins. "Hush Baby Hush," a feisty lullaby from the island of Jamaica, is portrayed in vivid colors that jump off the page, while the soulful "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" from Hungary is rendered in soft shades of blue and pink. As you thumb through the pages, each spread is a surprise, while the art as a whole remains cohesive in style.

"Hush Baby Hush" from Jamaica

"Sleep, Baby, Sleep" from Hungary

With the more than two dozen lullabies that make up this collection, it would be almost impossible not to find one that will send a small child off to slumberland. But if not, there's always that other bestselling lullaby book. Here's hoping you won't ever need it!

Hush, Baby, Hush! Lullabies From Around the World
by Kathy Henderson
illustrations by Pam Smy
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 40 pages
Pub Date: July 1, 2011

Copy provided by publisher

Quote of the Week

2011-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

"It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming up themselves like grass."

~ Eudora Welty

Marty McGuire

2011-06-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Marty McGuire is my kind of gal. She'd rather be ankle deep in mud than playing dress-up with the other three-grade girls. So when she's chosen to be the princess in the class production of The Frog Prince, she flat out refuses. Not that it does her much good. Between her teacher and her mother, she's pressured into accepting the part. When an actor coach teaches the class about improvisation, Marty decides to do a little improvising on her own. Let's just say she recasts the role of the frog and leave it at that.

The school play isn't the only predicament Marty faces. Third grade hasn't started out all that well. She has a nemesis, Veronica Grace Smithers, a princessy-type of girl who's stolen Marty's best friend away. Or at least that's how Marty sees it. By the book's end, this subplot concludes in a believable and satisfying way.

Kate Messner (The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z) has created a spunky, likeable character in Marty. As Marty's teacher reminds her, she's "...somebody with a lot of talent and confidence. Somebody with a strong voice and lots of energy. Somebody brave and smart who can think on her feet." Marty follows in the rambunctious footsteps of Ramona and Clementine. Readers of early chapter books will be delighted to meet her acquaintance.

Marty McGuire
by Kate Messner
illustrations by Brian Floca
Scholastic, 144 pages
Published: May 2011

How Sweet It Is!

2011-06-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sarah Ducharme of Try Curiosity has given The Cath in the Hat a "Sweet Blog" award.

Woo-hoo! Thank you, Sarah!

Here's how the award works:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.

2. Share seven random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 deserving blog buddies.

4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

So here goes...

Seven random facts:

1. A committed pugophile, I love all things pug, most of all Pablo, my male fawn pug.

2. Halloween is my favorite holiday and orange my favorite color.

3. I am addicted to coffee and the Sunday NY Times crossword puzzle.

4. I didn't learn to drive until I was in my thirties.

5. I've never met a roller coaster I didn't want to ride.

6. I have no ankles. None.

7. I'm getting married in September to a wonderful man who doesn't mind my ankleless condition.

Fifteen fabulous blogs:

Shelf Employed
Storied Cities

The Book Chook

The Excelsior File

Thick & Thin Things

Through the Looking Glass Book Review

A Call for a New Alphabet

2011-06-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Spelling has never been my strong point. So I sympathize with beginning readers learning the rules for the first time. Silent letters, the ways that plurals are formed, i before e except after c, the list goes on and on. Luckily, Jef Czekaj has written and illustrated a fun primer to help make learning the rules behind the alphabet fun.

The letter X gets the ball rolling. "It was an average day in Alphabet City. S was soaking up some sun, bearded B was bouncing a ball, R was rolling-skating, and there was P in the pool. Every letter was happy and content. Every letter, that is, except for X." The malcontent letter is tired of being among the final three of the alphabet. He's tired of rules. He demand a new order of the alphabet and raises enough of a stink that the other letters agree to a vote the following day.

After a night beset with disturbing dreams about the downside the other letters face (Y never knowing if it's a consonant or vowel, the stress of overworked E, and the pitfalls of pronunciations that vary), X wisely decides that the alphabet order is fine as is.

Czekaj (author of Hip & Hop, Don't Stop among many others) draws the personified letters of Alphabet City in his usual wacky style with lots of clever details. The P in the pool wears a pirate hat, I holds an ice cream cone, G is drawn as a ghost, and so on. Kids are sure to appreciate the antic, fast-moving pace of this graphic storybook. And they might even learn a spelling rule or two, helpful for whenever their online Spell Checker fails them.

A Call for a New Alphabet

by Jef Czekaj

Charlesbridge, 48 pages

Published: 2011

Today's Nonfiction Round-up is at Practically Paradise.

The Little Red Pen

2011-06-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid the story of The Little Red Hen didn't appeal to me all that much. I mean, why couldn't the chicken just make the bread by herself? Why drag in Pig, Duck and Cat? Then I became a mom. Suddenly the story resonated.

The Little Red Pen takes a fresh look at this well-known nursery tale, substituting a ballpoint pen for the put-upon hen and office supplies for the barnyard animals. Little Red Pen is faced with a pile of papers to grade, and when she asks for a little help, she finds Stapler, Scissors, Pencil, Eraser, Pushpin, and Highlighter hiding in the desk drawer. Unlike the barnyard animals, the Desktop Brigade has a reason for not helping. They fear wearing themselves out and being tossed into "The Pit of No Return," otherwise known as the trash.

Little Red Pen bravely carries on by herself, marking papers long into the night until, too tired to continue, she rolls off the desk and falls into the pit. When the others learn of her fate, they band together and do their best to rescue their friend. With the help of several more desk mates, Paper Clip Box, Ruler, and Yardstick, as well as the class hamster, Tank, the gang pulls Little Red Pen (and some others who have fallen in during the rescue attempt) out of the trash and back onto the desk. Then they finish up grading and organizing the papers, no longer afraid of hard work.

The illustrations are the best part of this picture book, with the desktop scenes just bursting with action. Each office supply has its own personality. Little Red Pen is brisk and no-nonsense with her horn-rimmed glasses. Pushpin is a sassy Latina named Senorita Chincheta, while Eraser is constantly forgetting things as his rubber head shrinks. Even each character's typeface is unique. And the book's message--that we must work together to survive--isn't hammered home, but conveyed in a humorous, light-hearted way. Children are sure to enjoy this rollicking tale. But why should they have all the fun? Read it yourself; it's bound to resonate with anyone who's ever faced a mountain of paperwork.

The Little Red Pen
by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
illustrated by Janet Stevens
Harcourt Children's Books 56 pages
Published: April 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-05-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

"Repeat reading for me shares a few things with hot-water bottles and thumb-sucking: comfort, familiarity, the recurrence of the expected."

~Margaret Atwood

Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!

2011-05-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

And hooray for Mo Willems! He's done it again, creating another perfect blend of pictures and text for young readers. More than any other children's book author alive today, Willems slips most comfortably into Arnold Lobel's shoes. Both are masters at taking seemingly slight incidents and turning them into stories that resonate.

This beginning reader/picture book is made up of 6 1/2 stories about surprises. Each one features Amanda, an avid reader, and her pet alligator, who as we learn in story #4 was purchased for seven cents from a sale bucket. In the story the illustrations show Alligator becoming increasingly insecure as he learns the truth about his origins. Amanda tells her beloved stuffed toy the truth because, as Willems explains in parentheses, "(When friends ask you to tell the truth, you tell the truth.)" (I love parentheses!) Alligator summons up the courage to ask the question; "Why did no one want to buy me?" And Amanda gives the perfect answer: "No one wanted to buy you because they knew you were meant to be my best friend."

In the final story Alligator is put out when Amanda brings home another stuffed toy, a panda that her grandfather bought for her at the zoo. Panda is everything Alligator isn't. Brand new and fluffy, she definitely doesn't look like she came from a sale bucket. Left alone together, the two friends find that they are more alike than different.

The illustrations are classic Willems. He manages to convey so much in just a few squiggles and lines. Take a look at the illustration of Alligator and notice how his nostrils and mouth resemble a smiley face.

As a review in BCCB states, "This is a perfect stealth early reader, a story that will begin as a chapter-by-chapter readaloud and then get converted by the audience when experience and determination make it time to fly solo." Amen. Reserve a space on your bookshelf for Mo Willems's latest.

Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator
by Mo Willems
Balzer + Bray 72 pages
Published: April 2011

Queen of the Falls

2011-05-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

It's been said that to fully appreciate Shakespeare's King Lear one should be middle-age or older, as a younger audience isn't capable of grasping the horror of old age. I feel the same about Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg. To his credit, Allsburg does his best to mitigate the depressing story of Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. He portrays Taylor as the plucky enterprising woman that she was, coming up with the scheme when she was in her early sixties, devising a barrel that would withstand the falls, and bravely entering the barrel not knowing if she would survive, and if she did, in what condition.

But Allsburgh can't hide the underlying circumstances that propelled Taylor to undertake such a perilous adventure. For Taylor wasn't your typical daredevil, eager to risk life and limb for the thrill of it. No, Taylor was desperate. Left a widow with little money, she faced the prospect of spending her declining years in the poorhouse. With few options open to her, she convinced herself that going over the falls would make her rich. Allsburg describes her quest to conquer Niagara Falls in gripping detail. Truly, the reader feels as if he or she is inside the barrel right along with Taylor.

Amazingly, Taylor survived with only a few minor cuts and bruises. Once recovered, she expected to cash in on her daring deed. Frank Russell, a promoter she hired, took her on tours, the pair riding on trains from town to town with the barrel. Fame and fortune failed to materialize. Again and again, the audience was dismayed to find Taylor, a plump grandmotherly type, the heroic conquerer of the falls. Put bluntly, she didn't fit the part. After Russell absconded with the barrel, Taylor was able to get it back. She hired a second promoter, but he too stole the barrel, this time for good. Not one to quit, Taylor had another barrel made and for years displayed it in a park near Niagara Falls, selling souvenir postcards and pamphlets about her famous achievement. She did this for years, never earning much money.

Allsburg ends his picture book on an upbeat note, giving Annie Taylor the last words. "...it was the greatest feat ever performed. And I am content when I can say, "I am the one who did it.'"

The illustrations by Allsburg, Caldecott winner of The Polar Express, are all done in sepia-tones, helping to set the book firmly in the past. With incredibly detailed realism, they resemble newspaper photos. Yet no camera could capture Taylor's terrified expression inside the barrel as it crashes over the falls.

Children reading or listening to this biography will be caught up in the thrilling tale, and probably won't be aware of its sad undertones. For them, old age is far, far away. Adults, though, hearing news reports of cuts to Social Security, might well ponder Taylor's fate. I know I do.

Queen of the Falls
by Chris Van Allsburg
Houghton Mifflin, 40 pages
Published: April 2011

This week's Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Great Kids Books.

Quote of the Week

2011-05-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

"When I got my library card, that was when my life began."

~ Rita Mae Brown

Animals Riding Bikes

2011-05-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

May is National Bike Month, and a great way to celebrate--besides going for a ride--is to read books that feature these two-wheel wonders. I'm particularly pro-bike because my Main Squeeze is a biking fanatic, who has owned two bike shops. His last one had as its logo an illustration of a frog riding a bike, drawn by the talented children's book illustrator Brian Schatell.

Why a frog? Main Squeeze is seriously into Kermit.

During the time he owned the shop, I started collecting picture books that featured animals riding bikes. Here are a few of my favorites.

What a great cover! A classic, Lobel's Frog and Toad Together showcases five stories about these two amphibian friends: "A List," "The Garden," "Cookies," "Dragons and Giants," and "The Dream." My favorite is the first, in which Toad writes a list of the many things he needs to do. Number one is "Wake up," which he then proceeds to cross off. Incredibly, I know an avid list-maker who has been known to do exactly that. (Hi, Mom!)

Marta is a cow captivated by bicycles. One day when a bike race passes by the farm, she is inspired to build her own. When she's finished, she faces a problem. She doesn't know how to ride. Like many a beginning rider, she takes her fair share of spills before mastering her new set of wheels. Next year Marta is ready. When the race again comes to town, Marta joins the fun--and ends up taking first place. Written by Germano Zulla and illustrated by Albertine, both from Geneva, Marta and the Bicycle is a delightfully silly story children will be sure to want to read again and again.

I love anything by David McPhail, the illustrator of The Bear's Bicycle. His appealing drawings of animals capture their essence. The Bear's Bicycle, written by Emilie Warren McLeod, is a step-by-step progression of a little boy's ride through town. The boy narrator is a model rider, signaling turns, looking both ways before walking his bike across the street, and steering around cans and broken glass. All this is clearly shown. His stuffed teddy bear, however, is another matter. McPhail portrays the bear as a real one, who gleefully disobeys the rules of the road. He coasts down hills, shoves people who are in his way, and ignores STOP signs. His actions do have consequences. He fails to brake at the end, causing him to tumble. Children will get a kick out of seeing the bear's naughty ways, while at the same time learning the importance of bicycle safety.

Duck on a Bike showcases an entire barnyard of animals on bikes. The fun starts with Duck, who highjacks a bike and begins riding it around the farm. He passes Cow, Sheep, Dog, Cat, Horse, Chicken, Goat, a pair of Pigs, and Mouse. Each animal has its private opinion about Duck's shenanigans. When a bunch of kids ride up to the farm and leave their bikes outside, the fun begins. The animals jump on (the pigs riding a tandem) and off they go. When they disembark, no one is the wiser--except readers who have had the fun of seeing David Shannon's winning illustrations.

Lift the Flap and Learn: The Human Body

2011-05-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Kids love books they can manipulate, whether they be pop-ups or lift-the-flaps. There's something satisfying about pulling a tab or lifting a shape to see what's hidden underneath. Babies have Pat the Bunny to mutilate. Toddlers and preschoolers, Where's Spot. But what about beginning readers?

The Human Body is perfect for this age group. Cleverly done, children can lift, slide, and pull to their heart's content, while picking up fascinating facts about how their bodies work. The book starts with a matter-of-fact account of how babies are made. (No tabs to pull or lift here!) Children then lift flaps to see the developing fetus and even get to help "deliver" the newborn when they pull the tab in the operating room. The next spread shows how babies grow and change into adults.

Kids are then introduced to some of the body's major systems (muscular, skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, nervous, and integumentary) with detours to explore the five sense and taste buds, as well as information on germs and how to take care of ourselves when we're sick.

My all-time favorite spread is called "Your Digestion." It shows how a forkful of broccoli works its way from the mouth through the intestines. The reader helps push the food down as it gets processed. When the tab at the bottom is pulled--out comes the poop. One review I read deplored this as being in questionable taste, but I think kids will appreciate this very graphic illustration of how food turns to waste. I know I did!

For the most part, the illustrations are cartoonish and not very detailed. The illustrator draws germs as weird-looking creatures with facial features. Yet they are realistic enough to portray essential information about the body accurately. The bones that make up a hand, for instance, are correct in number and size.

After pulling and lifting their way through this book, kids are sure to come away with plenty of questions of their own. So bone up on your anatomy and be prepared with your answers.

Lift the Flap and Learn: The Human Body
by Pascale Hedelin
illustrations by Robert Barborini
Owl Kids, 40 pages
Published: 2008
Book provided by publisher.

This week's Nonfiction Monday Round-up is at Simply Science.

Quote of the Week

2011-05-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

About Writing: "Have good toilet habits; go regularly, daily, go in private, and use plenty of paper. Go even when you think nothing's going to come...."
~ Louise Dean

Writer's Wednesday: Two Pages a Day

2011-05-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Newbies to fiction writing are often told to write every day. After "Write what you know," it's probably the most frequent advice given. So why did it take me so long to heed it? I'm not sure. Like everyone, I have plenty of excuses. Job obligations, family commitments, the joys of staying up late and sleeping in. Bottom line: I resist schedules and routines. Always have. Something in me bristles at doing the same thing the same way day after day. So I disregarded the advice and wrote when the writing bug hit or when I had extra time or when the stars aligned correctly. And I got stories and books published, so my approach felt justified.

Except my novels often stalled. Yes, shorter work could be completed in dribs and drabs, but longer works often petered out or weren't cohesive. Then last fall I watched a video featuring Kate DiCamillo. In the video she discussed her working habits, mentioning that each morning she got up, drank her coffee, and wrote two pages. And that's it. Two pages, singled-spaced, took her about an hour, and after that she was done. Even if she had more to write, she stopped. Hmmm. If this kind of schedule worked for Kate DiCamillo, a Newbery Award winner, maybe it would work for me. Two pages and an hour a day seem doable, not daunting.

And so I began. Each morning (excluding weekends), I brewed myself a cup of coffee and went straight to my desk. I did not check email or surf the internet. Instead I wrote for one hour, and by some miracle came up with two pages a day. By spring I had accumulated a 30,000 word middle-grade manuscript (and that was after abandoning 15,000 words and starting afresh). Now this first draft was as shitty as they come, of course. But that's what revision is for, right?

DiCamillo follows the same process when revising, with one small change. She revises two pages a day, but the pages are now double, not single, spaced. In this regard, I've parted ways with her. I revise for an hour each morning too, but I'll often go back and work some more in the afternoon.

So this once free spirit has become a creature of routine--and my writing has certainly benefited. What's your writing schedule and how does it help/hinder your writing?

Interview with Kate DiCamillo. Watch it!

Say Hello to Zorro!

2011-05-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello, Zorro!

So who's Zorro? He's a bossy pug who moves into Mister Bud's territory, disrupting his orderly life. The picture book begins:

"Mister Bud had it pretty good.
Everything was just about right."

An experienced reader just knows things won't stay that way. And they don't. As soon as Zorro sticks his what passes for a snout into the household, things change. The two dogs have trouble sharing--toys, favorite sofas, food dishes, well, pretty much everything. Luckily, the two quickly realize they have something in common--they both have the same routine, and doing things with a buddy is much more fun than doing them alone. Soon the pair are terrorizing the neighbor's cat on their daily walks and napping on the same cozy rug. In short, they become best friends.

Carter Goodrich, the author/illustrator, was the lead character designer for Despicable Me, and his talent for showing each dog's personality in the art is evident. Mister Bud is the epitome of a contented dog enjoying his doggie lifestyle until Zorro arrives. And Zorro is the quintessential pug. Little in size but with a big dog's personality, Zorro doesn't let any creature, no matter how large, get anything over him. (I confess here that I am the proud owner of a pug and can attest that Zorro's portrayal rings true.)

My only quarrel with this delightful book is that the conflict between the two dogs is over almost as soon as it starts. I'd have liked there to be a bit more of a struggle before the two learn that joining forces is always better than going it alone. But that's a small quibble. Kids will enjoy reading about this mismatched pair who discover that even when everything is just about right, it can still get better.

Say Hello to Zorro!
by Carter Goodrich
Simon & Schuster, 48 pages
Published: 2011

Quote of the Week

2011-05-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

"I am sure I read every book of fairy tales in our branch library, with one complaint--all that long golden hair. Never mind--my short brown hair became long and golden as I read and when I grew up I would write a book about a brown-haired girl to even things up."
~ Beverly Cleary

One Proud Mom

2011-05-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

My daughter, a grad student finishing her second year in an interior design program, had as her final assignment the task of re-designing the children's library in Chappaqua, NY. Her inspiration for the project was the Crockett Johnson classic, Harold and the Purple Crayon. I remember reading the story to her when she was a little bit of a thing.

This morning I was thrilled to see the plans for the library posted on her blog. I think she did a wonderful job of creating an inviting yet sophisticated environment for young readers. But what do I know? I'm only her mother.

You can check out the entire design for the library here.