The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Forty-Two : Children and pets

A year or so ago I, like so many parents, was subjected to hearing "can I have a pet PLEASE. I promise to take care of it." Three guinea pigs later, my daughter has come to realize that pets are a lot of work. Today's picture book is about a little bear child who wants a pet of her own. Both children and parents will enjoy this one.

Children make terrible pets

Peter Brown

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Little Brown, 2010, 978-0-316-01548-6

   One day Lucy Beatrice Bear is out in the woods practicing her twirls when she comes across “the cutest critter in the whole forest.” She is thrilled with the little fellow and decides to call him Squeaker, “because he makes funny sounds.” Lucy begs her mother to allow her to keep the child (yes that is what he is) for a pet, even though she is told that “children make terrible pets.” Reluctantly, Lucy’s mother agrees, with the stipulation that Squeaker will be Lucy’s responsibility.

   Lucy and Squeaker have a wonderful time together, though Lucy discovers that having a pet can be a lot of work, and at times Squeaker is a real trial. For one thing, her pet refuses to be potty-trained, and for another, he loves to ruin the furniture. Then the worse thing possible happens. Squeaker disappears. Lucy is distraught. Where can her beloved pet be?

   Children are sure to enjoy this hilarious picture book with its loveable main character. Readers of all ages will love the way Peter Brown presents a familiar scenario in such a unique way. This book was written for all those children who have brought home an animal, and who have asked “can I keep him?” It was also written for all those long-suffering parents who have had to deal with all those wild animal pets who bring chaos and pandemonium in their lives. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Forty-One

If you are different in some way, life can be a bit of a trial. While people laugh at you, or make fun or you, or avoid you, you have to do your best to hold your head high. All you can do is hope that there are people out there who will like you for who you are, and who will happily accept and perhaps even embrace, your differentness.

In today's picture book you will meet two young people who both have something about them that is different. The message the story conveys is universal, and it is also a love story, so it would make a splendid Valentine's Day gift.

Ten big toes and a prince’s nose

Nancy Gow

Illustrated by Stephen Constanza

Picture book

For ages 6 to 8

Sterling, 2010, 978-1-4027-6396-0

   Once upon a time there was a princess who was lovely, she had a voice “like honey,” and “her smile was soft and sweet.” Unfortunately, this delightful young lady had enormous feet, and when young princes came to court her, the sight of her feet scared them off. Because her feet “were the first thing they’d see,” the princes did not even wait to find out how “charming” the princess was. They would dismiss her without even making the effort to find out what a wonderful person she was.

   Not far away, a prince lived in a castle and this “charming” and “kind” fellow was perfect in every way except that he had “a nose like a barn.” Princesses who met him would not even give him a chance, because all they noticed were his “gigantic” nose.

   Luckily, the princess with the big feet and the prince with the big nose had wise parents who counseled them to always be themselves and to accept that “I am what I am and that’s all right with me.”

   In this delightful picture book, we meet two young people whose confidence in who they are is tested because the are different. Despite being rejected by others, the prince and the princess stay true to who they are, and in the end they find the love happiness they are looking for.

   With beautiful full-page illustrations throughout, a clever rhyming text that is touched with humor, and a meaningful message about self love and confidence, this is a picture book that should be on every classroom and library shelf. 

A letter from Susan Stockdale about her book Bring on the birds

Not long ago a wonderful book arrived in mail called Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale.I was so delighted with the book that I wrote to the author/illustrator and I asked her to tell us a little about how the book came into being. This is what Susan told me about her writing process.

Dear TTLG:
My fascination with birds began with childhood visits to the Parrot Jungle in Miami, Florida, where I grew up. I was enchanted by the birds’ brilliant, bold colors and their elegant patterns. They seemed so exotic to me.

A rough sketch of blue-footed boobies

Recently, an American Robin built a nest on the ledge above my front door. Because there is a glass pane above the ledge, I was able to stand on a ladder and peer into the nest every day. My whole family got involved! It was exciting to see the turquoise eggs appear, one by one. We marveled at the patience of the mother Robin as she sat on them day after day. Then the nestlings hatched, grew by leaps and bounds every day, and finally flew from the nest. This beautiful spectacle was the inspiration behind Bring On the Birds. I also liked the idea of creating a book about birds because they are so accessible. You just look up in the sky, and there they are – no admission fee required.

As with all my books, my first step was to write the words. I was concerned about how they sounded; I actually said them out loud as I wrote them. I thought about their alliteration and rhythm. For Bring On the Birds, I began by writing the rhyme scheme:

Stage two for the boobies

“Swooping birds, whooping birds, birds with puffy chests.

Dancing birds, diving birds, birds with fluffy crests.”

 

Then I headed to the library to determine: Which birds swoop? Whoop? Have puffy chests? I selected birds that had the most visual appeal to me as an illustrator. And, because I celebrate biodiversity among animals in all my books, I was looking for birds from disparate geographic areas. For example, for “Swooping birds,” I came up with a list of 10 birds of prey. From this list, I chose the Great Horned Owl because I was drawn to the beautiful patterns on its face and wings. I knew they’d be wonderful to paint.

The background is added

My research is extensive. First, I consult books and magazines at the library, as well as online resources. After writing my manuscript and creating a dummy with the illustration sketches, I find experts to review both This is easy to achieve in the Washington, DC area where I live, with its abundance of museums and

experts in every possible field. 

I always have three scientists vet my work. For Bring On the Birds, I worked with ornithologists Dr. Carla Dove of the National Museum of Natural History and Dr.John Rappole of the National Zoo. I also consulted with Anne Hobbs, a Public Information Officer at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. These experts advised me

about the best way to present the birds realistically in my text and illustrations. Clearly, every piece of information that I convey to my young readers has to be 100% accurate. So far, none of my books have contained incorrect information!

More background and detail is added

I tried to see as many of the birds in my book as possible. I visited zoos and I examined bird specimens at the National Museum of Natural History. Certainly, my most exotic trip was to the Galapagos Islands, where I saw the Blue-footed Boobies and the Great Frigatebird. It was thrilling to watch the Boobies perform their comical mating dance, and the Great Frigatebird puff out its startling crimson chest.

After I finalized my manuscript, I selected photographs of the 21 birds I intended to paint. My reference photographs helped me determine which characteristics I wanted to dramatize in each bird, like the multi-colored beak of the Atlantic Puffin.

The illustration is complete

Next, I created sketches – sometimes as many as 20 - before arriving at the image I wanted to illustrate for each bird. Once I selected a final image, I consulted again with experts to ensure that it was visually accurate. Then I revised the sketch into a detailed drawing and traced it onto heavy paper. Then I began painting. For each color, I applied three or more layers of acrylic paint, giving the images a flat, almost silkscreen-like appearance. To produce such fine detail in my work I used small brushes. I am lucky to have a very steady hand. I loved the challenge of interpreting the unique quality of each bird in my own style while staying true to its anatomy --an approach I consider stylized realism. I played visually with every color, shape and pattern until my eye was satisfied. Having worked as a textile designer for the clothing industry, it has become instinctive for me to find patterns in everything I paint. I worked as a visual choreographer, choosing carefully where to place even a hair-thin bird feather. People often ask me, why do I create books about animals? To me, they are the most beautiful, elegant and outrageous of subjects, and I love to paint them. Their quirky individuality provides me with the perfect opportunity to express my passion for color, pattern, and design.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Forty

Falling in love for the first time can be a very confusing business. Unfamiliar feelings take over, and we find ourselves doing things things that make no sense at all. In today's picture book you will meet a little boy who has his first crush. Though he thinks that girls are "yuck," the new neighbor turns the poor boy's life upside down.

Yuck, A love Story

Don Gillmor

Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2010, 978-1554551729

   Austin Grouper has a great life. He has a dog called Fresco, a red bicycle, and a best friend called Sternberg. Everything is as it should be. When Austin’s mother tells him that a girl his age has moved in next door, Austin says “Yuck.” Why did a girl have to move in next door? Austin does not need to have a girl in his life. Girls don’t “know anything,” and they are annoying as well. The problem is that girls can also get under your skin, which is just what happens to poor Austin. Amy gets under his skin and he finds himself feeling and doing things that are quiet alien to him. In fact, she gets under his skin so much that when he is invited to her birthday party, Austin decides to take Amy a truly splendid present. He will take her a present that she will never forget.

   This charming picture book beautifully captures the confusion and mixed-upness that comes with having a first crush. With gentle touches of humor, Marie-Louise Gay’s illustrations perfectly capture Austin’s muddled up feelings, and his determination to give Amy something truly memorable for her birthday. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Thirty-Nine

I have a tendency to gravitate towards people who are different, and in films and books I find myself cheering on the character who dares to be unusual, who is proud of the fact that he or she is not one of the flock. In this book you will meet a sheep who refuses to behave like your average follow-the-leader sheep. She wants more out of life; she wants adventure, and she has the courage to be the kind of sheep that she wants to be.

Brave Charlotte

Anu Stohner

Illustrated by Henrike Wilson

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 8

Bloomsbury, 2005, 1-58234-690-9

Right from the start Charlotte is not like the other sheep. Instead of standing in the field in a docile sheep-like manner, Charlotte likes to climb trees, go for swims in the river, climb mountains, and explore the countryside. The other sheep, Jack the sheepdog, and the shepherd all think that  her behavior is very odd, and they all wish that she would settle down and behave like a proper sheep.

   Then one day the shepherd falls down and breaks his leg. Poor Jack doesn’t know what to do, and the older sheep cannot bring themselves to make the long and dangerous journey to the farmer’s house to get help. Of course Charlotte doesn't have these reservations at all. She sees nothing wrong with going to get help even if  “a sheep has never gone to the valley alone.”

   So Charlotte sets off on her long trip, and she even manages to get a lift along the way, for Charlotte is a very special sheep indeed.

   This wonderful picture book beautifully shows the reader that there is nothing wrong with being different, nor is there anything wrong with having dreams and being adventurous. Often it is those of us who have the courage to be true to ourselves who end up making a difference in the world, just as Charlotte does when she sets of on her courageous mission. Spare and yet meaningful paintings compliment the text to make this is winning and thought-provoking book.

   

In Memoriam - Brian Jacques

Soon after I started reviewing books I discovered the Redwall books, a series of stories about animals who have adventures, who battle evil doers, and who have the most marvelous feasts and celebrations. I fell in love with the wonderful characters, especially the moles (who have a delicious way of speaking) and the hares (who have bottomless stomachs). I was therefore very sad to hear that the man who created the Redwall Tales, Brian Jacques, passed away a few days ago. Here is a little information about this wonderful writer. He will be greatly missed.

Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England, on 15 June 1939 to James (a truck driver) and Ellen. He grew up in the area of the Liverpool docks. He is known by his middle name 'Brian' because both his father and one of his brothers are also called James. His father loved literature, and passed it to him, having him read stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Jacques showed a knack for writing at an early age. At age 10, he was given an assignment of writing a story about animals, and he wrote about a bird that cleaned a crocodile's teeth. His teacher could not believe that anyone could write that well when they were only 10 years old. He was called a liar for refusing to say he copied the story. He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for writing.

He attended St. John's private school until the age of 15 when he left school (as was the tradition at the time) and set out to find adventure as a sea merchant sailor. His book Redwall was written for the children of the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind, whom he refers to as his "special friends". He first met them when he delivered milk there as a truck driver. He began to spend time with the children, and eventually began to write stories for them. This accounts for the very descriptive style of the novel and the ones to follow.

His work gained acclaim when Alan Durband, a friend (who also taught Paul McCartney and George Harrison), showed it to his (Durband's) own publisher without telling Jacques. Durband told his publishers: "This is the finest children's tale I've ever read, and you'd be foolish not to publish it". Soon after, Jacques was summoned to London to meet with the publishers, who gave him a contract to write the next five books in the series.

Jacques has said that the characters in his stories are based on people he has encountered. He based Gonff, the self-proclaimed "Prince of Mousethieves", on himself when he was a young boy hanging around the docks of Liverpool. Mariel is based on his granddaughter. Constance the Badgermum is based on his grandmother. Other characters are a combination of many of the people he has met in his travels.

His novels have sold more than twenty million copies worldwide and have been published in twenty-eight languages.

Until recently, Jacques hosted a radio show called Jakestown on BBC Radio Merseyside. In June 2005, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by theUniversity of Liverpool.

Brian lived with his wife, Maureen, in Liverpool. The couple had two adult sons, David and Mark, and one granddaughter named Hannah. Marc is a builder, a carpenter, and a bricklayer. David is a professor of art and a muralist, who has painted in Children's hospitals, soccer stadiums, and trade union offices as far away as Germany, Mexico, and Chile.

Brian Jacques died on 5 February 2011, of a heart attack.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Thirty-Eight

Here is another wordless book that is funny and imaginative. I am finding quite a collection of these wordless gems, all of which are wonderful for children who want to 'read' a book by themselves, even though they don't know how to read on their own yet.. 

Where’s Walrus?

Stephen Savage

Wordless Picture Book

For ages 3 to 5

Scholastic, 2011, 978-0-439-70049-8

   All is quiet in the zoo. The keeper, the elephant, and the bear are all napping, but the walrus is wide awake, looking over the wall of his enclosure. Before the keeper has the opportunity to do anything, the walrus is out of his pool and heading out of the zoo. You would think that it would be easy to find a very large grey animal in a city, but the walrus is a very intelligent animal. He knows how to blend in with his surroundings. He knows how to disguise what he is, and the poor keeper searches and searches in vain. Then something amazing happens and the walrus’s disguise comes off. Everyone can see what he is, and everyone can also see that this walrus has a hidden talent – besides being a master of disguise.

   Young children are going to fall in love with the walrus in this book. They will laugh when they see how the wily animal hides in plain site, and the ending is sure to cause a sensation. With minimal flat illustrations, Stephen Savage gives little children a unique book experience. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Thirty-Seven

I once had a friend who was seemingly  good at everything. She was a faster runner than I was, she was better at math, she did not struggle with chemistry as I did. There were times when I felt as if I lived in her shadow. Thankfully I came to realize that she valued and admired me as much as I valued and admired her. We depended on and cared about each other. Today's picture book is about two little girl crocodiles who learn a valuable lesson about friendship.

I’m not

Pam Smallcomb

Illustrated by Robert Weinstock

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86115-4

   A little brown crocodile has a best friend called Evelyn, and Evelyn is everything that the little brown crocodile is not. Evelyn is creative, fashionable, artistic, imaginative, and loud. Sometimes the little brown crocodile wonders if her friend Evelyn “is from Mars” because they are so unalike. The little brown crocodile admires her friend, and sometimes she is exasperated by her. Evelyns is so larger than life that she can be a little overwhelming at time.

   Thankfully, the little brown crocodile has her own gifts and accomplishments. She can do things that Evelyn is not good at doing, and she has something to offer that is truly priceless.

   Having a friend who is good at many things can be a little bit of trial at times. What the author of this charming book shows to great effect is that even the most accomplished of people (or crocodiles) have things they are not good at. And even the most accomplished of people (or crocodiles), need to have a best friend.

   Young readers will love these two delightful little crocodile children who discover how well they compliment one another, and how precious their friendship is to both of them. Wonderfully humorous illustrations and loveable characters make this a picture book that is sure to become a favorite with young readers.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Thirty-Six

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so I thought I would review a few 'lovey dovey' titles. Here is one that hundreds of children have enjoyed since the book came out. This book was written for all those young children who worry that their parent's love might have an expiration date.

I Love You Stinky Face

Lisa McCourt

Illustrated by Cyd Moore

Picture Book

Ages 3 to 6

Scholastic, 2004, 978-0439634694

   All children need to feel loved, and there are times when they wonder if their parents might stop loving them under the right circumstance. In this story a little boy wonders - as his mother cuddles him before bedtime – if she would stop loving him if he were different. What if he were a big ape, or a smelly skunk? What if he were an alligator or a swamp creature? What if he was a “green alien from Mars” who “ate bugs instead of peanut butter?”

   Thankfully this little boy’s mother not only loves him unconditionally, she also finds wonderful answers for his questions. She tells her funny little son that, whatever he looks like, however badly he smells, and whatever strange things he eats, she will always be there for him, she will always take care of him, and she will always love him.

   Delightful and amusing illustrations show the little boy in all his imagined forms. Always, whether he is an ape, an alien, a monster, or a dinosaur, the little boy is wearing his telltale striped pajamas, and in each case his mother is there, being a mother and doing all those things that mothers do so well.

   This simple little story will make a wonderfully comforting bedtime story, and it will reassure children when they worry that they might not be loveable any more.

Poetry Friday - A review of Dear Mother, Dear Daughter

As the mother of a daughter, I found today's poetry title to be very interesting, amusing, and perceptive. I could almost hear the voices of my daughter and I as I read the poems, and I will be sharing the book with her in the next few days. It will be interesting to see how she responds!

Dear Mother, Dear daughter

Poems for young people

Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple

Illustrations by Gil Ashby

Poetry

For ages 9 to 12

Boyds Mills Press, 2001, 978-1-59078-743-4

   Mothers and daughters have been having heart-to-heart discussions, arguments, fights, and reconciliations for as long as there have been mothers and daughters. Daughters want to stay up later, mothers want them to get their beauty’s sleep. Daughters think that they are fat, and their mothers tell them that they are “just right,” perfect the way they are.

   For this unique and very meaningful collection of poems, Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple have written poems that present seventeen topics from the point of view of a mother, and from the point of view of a daughter.

   They begin with a poem about doing homework. How many millions of times have mothers and daughters tussled over not putting off doing homework. Here the daughter asks to “watch one show, / Then to work I’ll go.” The mother is sick and tired of having to be the “homework cop,” and she announces, “By golly, I am going to get tough.”

   Then there is the poem in which the daughter grieves when a much-loved grandmother dies. She is feeling her loss and remembering how her grandma “was always here.” In response, the mother comforts her daughter, reminding her that so much of Grandma is still here in their memories and their hearts, that she is “more / here / than not here.”

   “There is nothing to do,” the daughter says, complaining about how everything is “boring and dull” and how her life is “the pits.” Not surprisingly, her mother is not best pleased with these remarks, and she informs her daughter that there are so many things to do, “Both old things and new.”

   This collection of poems will delight both mothers and daughters. They offer insight, presenting both points of view with humor and sensitivity. It would be interesting to see what fathers and sons would say to each other.