Fowl Play

How did the chicken wake up?  It had an alarm cluck. 

What do you call a chicken crossing the road?  Poultry in motion

Why did the chicken cross the road?  To bock traffic!

Why did the turkey cross the road?  To prove he wasn't chicken!

Those four questions and answers are only a few in a multitude of fowl hilarity. Chickens and their feathered friends have long been the object of comedy routines, jokes, and tall tales.  They've even made it into the world of polka with the famous chicken dance.  Be prepared to grin, giggle, and guffaw as you enjoy this trio of titles recently released.

In two previous books, Interrupting Chicken and Interrupting Chicken And The Elephant Of Surprise, author illustrator David Ezra Stein introduces and entertains readers with the actions and conversations between a lively little red chicken and her patient papa.  In the third title, Interrupting Chicken: Cookies For Breakfast (Candlewick Press, October 26, 2021), the delightful duo take readers once more into the world of the classic written word.  There is nothing like a craving for cookies to get your morning off to an exuberant start . . . for some.

It was bright and early for the little red chicken.

Papa is not ready to wake up on a Saturday morning until little red chicken mentions breakfast in bed.  Cookies are not what he has in mind.  There will be no cookies for breakfast, but Papa reading a book aloud is the next best thing.

Little red chicken snuggles in next to her father eager for him to begin reading nursery rhymes.  Not more than one is read before she interrupts with her own version of completing There Was An Old Woman.  There might be a mention of cookies. 

Again Papa says there will be no cookies for breakfast.  You won't believe what vitamin little red chicken says are in cookies!  This scenario is repeated two more times as the reading aloud resumes.  The charming youngster inserts cookies into nursery rhymes, a proverb, and her own brand of common sense.

Papa is getting a little stressed and asks for a break.  Our clever protagonist pens and draws her own RIME.  A loud sound puts a stop to the comfy morning cuddle between this father and his daughter.  Papa has a most delicious reply to the noise.  

When we read David Ezra Stein's first sentence, we get a hint of how the morning is going to be.  The contrast between the on-fire vigor of the child and her father's desire to keep sleeping are typical and comedic.  Between their laugh-out-loud funny conversations and the nursery rhymes, most reworded by the little red chicken, an engaging cadence is created.  (I counted the mention of cookies and cookie at least twenty-five times.)  Here is a passage.

"Chicken."

"Yes, Papa?"

"I told you, we can't have cookies so early."

"I heard the early bird gets the cookie."

"That's worm."

"Well, you can have a worm, but I'd rather have a cookie!"

Papa yawned.  "We'll have breakfast soon.

Let's just read a little longer."

"Okay!" said the little red chicken. 

Using

watercolor, water-soluble crayon, china markers, pen, opaque white ink, and tea

the artwork of David Ezra Stein asks us to jump into the story with as much liveliness as the little red chicken does onto her father's bed.  On the open and matching dust jacket and book case, her enthusiasm is on full display.  Their humorous conversation is already beginning on the front, right side.  To the left, on the back, with the bedroom wallpaper as a canvas, we read the words of the little red chicken.

I sure like cookies a lot!

The speech balloons on the front and back are varnished.

A bright spring green covers the opening and closing endpapers.  On the informal title page, David Ezra Stein starts his pictorial interpretation.  The little red chicken is carrying a kitchen chair somewhere.  She has dropped her toy stuffed elephant.  A double-page picture spans edge to edge for the formal title page.  It is a wonderful view of the interior of the chickens' kitchen.  Our eyes move from the refrigerator across an arched doorway into another room, and then to the stove with pots and pans hanging from a rack under a hood to a window with a table and chairs, and finally to cupboards on the far right.

On the left side prior to the first single-page picture and on the right side of the final single-page picture, David Ezra Stein has placed a page using the bedroom wallpaper, green with large yellow flowers with reddish orange centers.  Throughout the book, the images range in size from smaller visuals on a single page to illustrations crossing the gutter to full-page pictures and two-page pictures.

The two-page pictures are the open book Papa is reading to little red chicken.  Included on these pages are her appearances when she interrupts and adds her own dialogue between the nursery rhyme characters.  The limited color palette of the nursery rhyme pages contrasts with excellence to the full-color illustrations of the little red chicken, her papa and their home.  The facial expressions on Papa, the little red chicken, and the nursery rhyme characters are side-splitting.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a picture which crosses the gutter.  On the left, we see Papa in bed with his little red chicken.  She is holding an open book and a pencil.  Her toy stuffed elephant is nestled with Papa on his right side.  The box of cookies is on the left side of the little red hen.  A light glows near her on a bedside table.  The bed crosses the gutter.  Taped on the foot of the bed, we are shown affectionate drawings by the little red chicken for her papa.  Her art materials are scattered on the floor near an ottoman where she was working.  

This third book, Interrupting Chicken: Cookies For Breakfast written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein, is as enchanting and funny as the previous two titles.  You can expect to hear a chorus of "read it again" every time you finish reading this either one-on-one or to a group of listeners.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about David Ezra Stein and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  David Ezra Stein has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  David Ezra Stein is interviewed at Judy Newman at Scholastic.  At the publisher's website, you can access and download a nine-page series activity kit.  At Penguin Random House, you can view many happy interior images.

David Ezra Stein discusses Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast from Candlewick Press on Vimeo

According to Merriam-Webster, there are three major definitions for the word magic.  They involve a special power welded by special people, tricks, and influence or skill.  The word impossible is tied to two of these definitions.  What is not mentioned in any of these meanings is the word chicken.  Perhaps the people at Merriam-Webster need to have a chat with two creative talents, author Adam Rubin and illustrator Adam Rex.  This duo's new collaboration, Gladys The Magic Chicken (Putnam G. P. Putnam's Sons, October 26, 2021) gives a new interpretation to that word, magic.  You'll be laughing before you've even finished the first page.

THIS ALL HAPPENED

a long, long, long. long, looong time ago.

Three thousand years before your grandma's

grandma's grandma was born.

In these long ago times there lived a chicken, a dancing chicken.  Gladys, the dancing chicken, was a follower.  Each day she went to the pasture with the sheep, a dog, and a shepherd.  One day, for the first time in his short life, this shepherd saw his reflection in a puddle.  He was stunned.

When Gladys comforted the boy, he wished to be beautiful.  Years passed and that boy became a strong, handsome man.  When a traveling peddler came to town, that man saw himself in a mirror.  (He had never seen a mirror.)  Again, he was stunned.  He kissed Gladys and declared her to be 

"A MAGIC, WISH-GRANTING CHICKEN." (At this point, I am laughing out loud.)

The wily peddler acquired Gladys by giving the shepherd that mirror.  Gladys went from place to place with that businessman who was offering her for sale.  She did not sell and that man made a wish.  Poof! No more Gladys.

Gladys was shocked as she moved from a cooking pot to the arms of a heroic swordsman.  From there she became a gift and the object of a hard-to-forget song.  Before this chicken, said to be magical, could really get settled at a royal palace, she found herself on the high seas with a band of pirates.  What?!

No sooner than one could think avast me hearties, Gladys landed on a deserted beach which was not really deserted because this was Gladys, after all.  A fancy, footwork frolic was observed and a wild ride caused Gladys to yield yet another of her eggs.  That brought Gladys to the best conclusion for a dancing chicken who might or might not have had special powers.  Magical, indeed.

Some of the best kinds of stories are circle stories.  Adam Rubin has written this one masterfully.  The setting he fashions, Ancient Times, allows him to play with language and historical facts.  His named cast of characters describes their occupations and sometimes their characteristics like the

Long-Bearded Bandit and the

Learned Princess.

His blend of narrative, dialogue, and authorial asides is marvelous, just like Gladys.  You will be swept away by his word choices brimming with action.  Here is a passage.

CRASH!

BANG!

BOOM!

The Learned Princess shrieked as a Fearsome Pirate swung through the window, flipped through 

the air, and landed on the floor with a sword clenched in her teeth.  Gladys let an egg go ploop.

"YOU'RE COMING WITH ME." threatened the Fearsome Pirate.

"I'M HERE TO KIDNAP YOU FOR RANSOM!"

"HOORAY!" squealed the Learned Princess.

HOORAY? asked the Fearsome Pirate.  . . .

You will be hard-pressed to look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case without bursting into giggles.  Gladys, in all her dancing glory, is looking a tad uncomfortable at the accolades she is receiving and at being placed on a pedestal.  Her eyes here and throughout the book convey more than words ever could.  Gladys, the flower at her feet, and the title text are varnished.

To the left of the spine, on the back, a continuation of the Ancient Times brushed golden tones acts as a canvas.  Here is a very, very, very old stone portrait of a chicken with the face of a wise man or deity.  It is placed in the upper, left-hand corner like it is holding up a roof at the top of a pillar.

There are four horizontal panels separated by black lines on the opening and closing endpapers.  In these panels Gladys is featured, symbolically, in her travels.  The drawing is precise, almost like it has been cut and stenciled.  In the opening endpapers it is black on a rich deep pink.  On the closing endpapers, the elements are repeated on metallic dark gold.  These pink and gold colors are used again in a beautiful design decision.

The title page is done in hues of pink, purple, blue and gold.  It showcases an old city with lightning coming from the cloud above it.  Gladys sits in that cloud amid the title text.

Drawn digitally, these illustrations by Adam Rex are guaranteed to have readers pausing at every page turn beginning with the map opposite the dedication and publication information page.  The map is titled

THE WORLD OF

ANCIENT 

TIMES

WITH CHICKEN

SNACKS BY REGION.

The pictures throughout are replete with details and bold, bright colors. 

Single-page images blend to the next one.  Smaller illustrations grouped two to a page accentuate pacing.  Double-page pictures are dramatic.  When the ancient language is spoken it is placed in narrow scrolls with a different font.  White space, dark space, and perspective are magic in the skilled hands of Adam Rex.

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page illustration.  It is a dark scene in hues of blue.  We are in the dungeon of the palace of the Purple Pooh-bah.  There is stonework, stairs, and archways leading into seemingly endless hallways.  On the right side a heavy grate is placed in the floor.  From the grate stretch two narrow scrolls.  They read:

CURSE YOU, MAGIC CHICKEN!

cried the Long-Bearded

Bandit.

THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!

Prepare to laugh yourself silly reading Gladys The Magic Chicken written by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Adam Rex.  The combination of text and artwork makes this a classic tale to be told again and again.  You might find yourself humming a tune and singing the words ending with

ABRA-COCK-A-DOODLE-DEE-DOO!

Make sure you have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.

By following the link attached to Adam Rubin's and Adam Rex's names, you can access their respective websites to learn more about them and their other work.  Adam Rubin has an account on Twitter.  He also has a more adult website here.  Adam Rex has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view some interior images.  This inventive duo are interviewed about this book at School Library Journal, A Fuse #8 Production, by Betsy Bird.

Chicken Literacy from Adam R on Vimeo.

When the temperature drops thirty degrees in twelve hours with wind chills in the teens, it is cold outside.  No matter how much winter wear you don, the bitter breeze finds a way to give you the shivers.  As you walk from one point to the other, sometimes in place and other times as if a giant hand is pushing you, you wonder if you will ever be warm again.  In Cold Turkey (Little, Brown and Company, November 23, 2021) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call with illustrations by Chad Otis, this bird knows that frigid temperatures equals loads of clothes.  Will this bird survive wandering in his neighborhood?

Turkey woke up c-c-cold.

He wheezed, "It's ten degrees!

I need to b-b-bundle up

before I f-f-freeze!"

Turkey first met Sheep.  She was quivering from the effects of the storm.  Turkey gave her his hat.  Turkey was not quite as warm when he met Chick.  Her feathers and nest of hay were not helping her.  Perhaps Turkey's wing warmers would help her.

No longer standing, Horse could barely make a sound.  Cow could not even crouch to combat the wild wind.  It was a miracle Pig was not purple from the wild weather.  At each stop, Turkey relinquished an article of clothing.

Turkey was no longer bundled.  Turkey was shaking as the blizzard blasted his bare body.  He could hardly wait to get home.  

Unbeknownst to Turkey, his barnyard friends had an unexpected state in store for him.  Each one and Turkey, too, had new descriptive names.  Turkey went from warm-hearted on the inside and from cold to _____ on the outside.

Authors Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call have a knack through inventive wordplay for spinning narratives with a catchy cadence.  Their rhyming couplets for each animal followed by a two-word alliterative descriptor bring smiles to listeners.  These are an open invitation to participate in the story.  As the tale unfolds, readers see the results of a generous spirit and the warmth friendship brings.  Here is a passage.

Cow was qu-qu-quivering.

"I can't help but complain.

This wind is a cow-tastrophy!

It's udderly insane."

QUIVERING

COW

The crisp white background for the front and back of the open and matching dust jacket and book case with scattered snowflakes is certain to induce chills.  Even covered in clothing, Turkey is one cold bird as evidenced by the shiver marks and blowing leaves and weeds.  Notice how those weeds extend over the spine.  

To the left, on the back, Turkey and his friends are shown in a circular image.  Their cold faces all point to him in the center.  Each one of them is labeled with their alliterative names, except for Cold Turkey.

On the opening endpapers artist Chad Otis gives readers a bird's eye view of the barnyard blanketed in snow.  A dotted line indicates the path Turkey takes from friend to friend.  This view offers a hint at the conclusion.  Night has fallen on the scene on the closing endpapers.  There are still a few flakes of snow falling but it is otherwise calm.  The dotted line has been replaced with prints in the snow.  A glow on the far right reveals the toasty conclusion.

These images rendered

in pencil, scanned textures, and digital paint

convey a realistic sense of time and place.  You'll be reaching for your favorite coat, hat, and mittens before you leave with Turkey to go outside.  Evidence of the wind and snow has filtered into Turkey's home.  Brrrr . . .

As Turkey moves from animal to animal, the layering of snow on objects combined with gusts of wind, drifting flakes, and blowing leaves and twigs is highly convincing.  White is used superbly as an element contrasting with the colors of the animals, Turkey and his clothing.  Chad Otis has us initially standing back to watch the exchange between Turkey and the other five animals, but when Turkey gives away an article of clothing and the animal is given their two-word name, we are brought close to the location.  Readers will enjoy the added details and facial expression on the characters.

One of my many favorite images of all these two-page pictures is for the words

HUDDLING HORSE.

On the left side Horse's face and upper portion of his body is highlighted.  Horse is extremely cold, but now his nose is wrapped in Turkey's scarf.  Horse is holding it in place with his two foot hooves.  On the right side of the picture, Turkey is walking away, getting colder and colder.  He is wearing only two more pieces of clothing.  Head bent, he plods through the deepening snow.  To the left of him, a fence is coated in snow.  In the distance, on the right, we can see the outline of the farmhouse.

Readers will be tapping their toes and clapping their hands in time to the wondrous words penned by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call and in response to the enhancing illustrations by Chad Otis when they hear or read Cold Turkey.  This book would make a fantastic reader's theater.  You'll want to add a copy to both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Corey Rosen Schwartz, Kirsti Call, and Chad Otis and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their websites.  Corey Rosen Schwartz has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Kirsti Call has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Chad Otis has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can download an activity sheet.

Recipe For Beep! Boop! Bop!

When a version of the phrase,

you are what you eat,

originated nearly two hundred years ago, it was meant to imply food will determine the state of your health.  Today with the plethora of specialty cookbooks, diet plans, nutritionists and chefs with star status the definition remains intact.  In fact scientific research supports the belief certain ingredients consumed will heighten and lengthen or conversely prove detrimental to our lives.

Author Adam Rubin and illustrator Daniel Salmieri, the collaborative team who brought us Those Darn Squirrels, Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door, Dragons Love Tacos, Those Darn Squirrels Fly South, Secret Pizza Party, and Big Bad Bubble, have combined their considerable talents and love of wacky wildness to explore the notion of whipping up a special potion.  In Robo-Sauce (Dial Books For Young Readers, October 20, 2015) we discover with the right stuff dreams can and do come true.  Get ready readers!

Hey, kid! Sweet Robo-Costume.  
Perfect for whomping on squishy humans.

A boy and his dog creatively attired in robot wear annoy their family with typical mechanical mannerisms until everyone leaves the room. An unseen narrator speaks to the possibility of a potent formula designed to turn the consumer into

a giant awesome robot.

As fate would have it, this party happens to have a recipe named BOOM.

The common household ingredients so named are like a list of make-believe mojo.  Once mixed the neon-orange goop needs to be taken a spoonful at a time.  When that does not work, the voice recommends the boy dump the whole concoction over his body.  As an apology is being issued due to the lack of any kind of transformation, the page explodes into sound.  SHAZAM! The boy is now

a giant awesome robot.

After going on a rampage around the neighborhood, this newly created mass of metal realizes no one wants to be around this type of destructive force.  The narrator wrongly assumes the boy will want an antidote.  Instead a portion of his anatomy produces MORE Robo-Sauce which he promptly uses to zap his family and canine companion.

When the narrator, who has totally lost control of the story, makes an observation, the boy robot speaks a command.  Under the spell of his magical mayhem we have no choice but to obey.  We manipulate, we turn, we open and read.  SHAZAM! We are surprised.


By the time I finished reading this book written by Adam Rubin multiple times, I realized a smile was on my face as I read from cover to cover and then some.  The voice of the narrator, clearly bold, is also speaking in confidential tones to the intended audience in their language.   We become, without any direct awareness until near the end, avid participants in the story.  It's the word choices and pacing which envelope us.  Here is another sample passage.

Jumping Jingleheimer Schmidt--it worked!  I mean, of course it worked...Hey, ROBO-KID! Check out your sweet blinking lights and sparkling antennas.  Listen to those beautiful "Beeps" and "Boops."

Now you can do all the cool stuff you never got to do when you were busy not being a robot.


As someone who immediately removes the dust jacket on a new picture book, it was interesting to note this title has none.  Running your hands over the book case you discover the warning label is real and raised.  The Robo-Sauce color dripping from the title text, the boy, his dog and the robot all address events to come.  Careful readers will wonder about the tiny blinking red dot at the bottom.  On the back of the book case the dog is placed in his robot costume beneath an introduction which would normally appear on the inside of the jacket flaps.  Underneath we have text traditionally located on the back jacket flap.  No space is wasted.  Opening the cover the title page and verso greet readers.

In a series of images, some double-page spreads, others single pages or a group of smaller pictures on one page, Daniel Salmieri, using a limited color palette, elevates the fun of this story to new heights.  Using pencil, ink and a computer his illustrations create a cast of quirky characters in unbelievable settings.  As the story shifts to the conclusion, we can feel the emotional mood change in the expressions and body postures.

The paper engineering, invitation and instructions to the reader are nothing short of marvelous.  The different background and texture are sure to elicit true glee.  Even after reading it repeatedly the result is as good as the very first time.

One of Xena's favorite illustrations (and mine) is a two-page spread, a close-up, of the dog after it's been covered in Robo-Sauce.  A two-word comment

Oh, great. 

is placed on the white background.  Metal has replaced fur.  The eyes are glowing orange.  A small blinking antenna sticks up out of the head.

WOOF WOOF
ARF ARF ARF

appear on the language screen.  The two back legs are different from the two front legs, designed for special purposes.  I burst out laughing when I saw this.


Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri hold in their hearts and minds the ability to maintain all the joys of being a child.  Robo-Sauce is a celebration of inventiveness and a reminder to step back, being free to play.  Please read this title over and over and share it as often as you can.

To learn more about Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri and their other books,  please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  A special website has been created specifically for this book.  It's packed with beep-boop-bop goodness.  Author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson talks with Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri about Robo-Sauce at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There's lots of artwork and laughter there.

Shhhhh...Can You Keep A Secret?

Truthfully, I can't remember a time when I did not like pizza.  Growing up I can still remember the thrill of knowing a pizza night was close at hand when the Chef Boyardee box showed up in the pantry after Mom went grocery shopping.  As I got older my homemade pizza dough from scratch was a household favorite.

Say the word pizza party to a group of students and watch what happens; eyes will light up and a quiet buzz will spread around the room.  The team that brought readers Those Darn Squirrels (Clarion Books, 2008), Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door (Clarion Books, 2011), Those Darn Squirrels Fly South (Clarion Books, 2012) and Dragons Love Tacos (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012) have a new title guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.  Secret Pizza Party (Dial Books for Young Readers) is a ring-tailed rascal's quest for this mouth-watering, gourmet, doughy delight.

Poor Raccoon.
All he wants in life is some pizza.

Peering into pizzeria windows and invading trash cans, does not seem to be working in his favor.  As the narrator extols the virtues of all things pizza with apologies to the forlorn, frustrated Raccoon, a plan is suggested, a plan which must not be revealed to anyone.

Lest Raccoon needs a refresher on the true meaning of secret, the conspiratorial voice explains to him and the reader the advantages of keeping mum.  There is one problem though; how to get the pizza delivered to Raccoon.  I mean...after all...he is wanted for pizza theft.  But what's a party without the main course?!

Who's that in the trench coat, boots, wide-brimmed hat and glasses?  Shhhh...it's Raccoon.  He's going in to pick up a pizza.  Money?  Wallet?  He's got to run now on what promises to be a challenging, rather than a perfect, route back to his home inside the tree trunk.

Now it's time for the secret pizza party.  Wait a minute...there's the sound of voices, many voices, bright lights and a distinctive odor coming from outside Raccoon's home.  And he's off...


Adam Rubin reels readers right into the story with his snappy narration; a voice acting in partnership with Raccoon while providing readers with the inside scoop.  Lead by contemporary word choices loaded with humor we willingly follow the path, collaborators in the plan.  His descriptions of the pizza, his comparisons between regular and secret, the rambling escape route and the surprising conclusion combine to make the best kind of story; feeding our desire for a fun-filled adventure.  Here is a single example.  

Hot diggity dog, our pizza party is going to be so much fun!
Call the pizza man and tell him to bring over his absolute finest pizza pie.

Hang on a minute, you don't want the delivery guy to know where you live.

One of my favorite things about the artwork of Dan Salmieri is how his details convey and encompass the theme of a story.  The front jacket and cover done in shades of black featuring Raccoon in his disguise, eyes looking straight at the reader, finger to his mouth asking for quiet, the title done in shapes of pizza in front of the darkened pizza parlor, match the mood of secrecy.  The back jacket and cover feature a wanted poster of Raccoon, REWARD: 1 FREE PIE (NO TOPPINGS), nails holding it in place.  The opening and closing endpapers are patterned in slices of cheese pizza on a white background.

Using watercolor, gouache, and color pencil Salmieri alternates between black and white backgrounds, a variety of picture sizes, double page, single page and smaller vignettes, with his signature characters.  It's in looking at the eyes, the long thin arms, body motions and facial emotions, readers will be hard pressed not to burst into laughter.  Raccoon face pressed against the glass of the pizza restaurant watching people eat,  the decor in his abode, pizza graphics on the walls, a bedspread covered in whole pizzas, a lampshade in the shape of a pizza slice, and the page without text showing him full figure in his undercover garb, are top-notch hilarity.


I love the minds that pair raccoons, those notorious nocturnal raiders, with a favorite food.  Secret Pizza Party written by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is a passion, no... an obsession, gone wild.  I know readers will enjoy hearing this story read to them with the same frequency they enjoy eating pizza, every meal, every day.

Please visit the author and illustrator websites linked to their names above.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A...Squirrel?

When you grow to love the characters in a book, the news that the author and illustrator are collaborating to create a second is cause for jubilation.  If the second title is as good as or even better than the first, a reader begins to hope, hope for yet another.  When the third volume appears you want to  climb the tallest tree with a megaphone and shout out the good tidings to anyone who will listen.

Since their initial entry into the world of children's literature with Those Darn Squirrels, followed by Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door, the duo of author, Adam Rubin, and illustrator, Daniel Samieri, have become known for their absolute hilarity.  Third in the series, Those Darn Squirrels Fly South (Clarion Books) is no exception. There is a marvelous magic in the number three.

Old Man Fookwire lived at the edge of town in a beautiful forest full of birds and squirrels.

If you looked up the definition of cranky, crabby and cantankerous in the dictionary, I give you one guess as to whose picture would be there.  Yes, indeed...Old Man Fookwire.  That guy seems to find fault with nearly everything except for the birds in the forest.  Seasons permitting, he paints pictures of them for hours each and every day.

With winter in the offing, he is not looking forward to the snowy, blowy days without their company.  Of course, he won't be entirely alone.  Oh, no, those darn squirrels will be wreaking havoc as per usual.  Unbeknownst to Old Man Fookwire, the inventive fluff-tailed creatures are hard at work on another of their ingenious plans.

Mr. Never Smiles is flabbergasted to hear strange sounds following the faint cries of his birds fluttering southward.  It's those darn squirrels in all sorts of flying contraptions!  Why should the birds have all the fun of frolicking in the sunny climes?

Weeks go by with Old Man Fookwire settling in for a long winter.  He is suddenly wakened by the strangest phone call.  It would seem that a trip needs to be made in his 1957 sports car.  

It's doubtful anyone will ever be able to explain what happened at the end of that journey south.  Maybe it was because of those darn squirrels but when Fookwire arrived, he did something that even surprised him.  A word of warning, whatever you do, keep the squirrels away from your car.

Witty, declarative sentences string together to form an outlandish story told matter-of-factly which in turn induces loads of laughs.  Adam Rubin's gift of gab is further exemplified in the names of his bird types (not to mention the name Fookwire), his keen descriptions of place and events and sometimes in his use of a repetitive form for emphasis.  His ability to speed up, slow down, shift from one character's scene to another without losing the flow makes for jim-dandy reading.  Here is a single passage.

Fookwire pouted as the sound of flapping wings

faded into the distance.  He turned to go inside---

and heard a rustling in the trees.  A rustling

followed by a whir.  A whir followed by a buzz.

Rendered in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, Daniel Salmieri's illustrations truly heighten and extend the prevalent humor.  His cover and jacket clearly predict the eventual "family" gathering on the warmer southern sands.  His title page features blue sky and a sandy beach with the bottom portion of a chunky tree in the center, showcasing a carved title, author and illustrator names with the "Fly South" written on paper tacked to the tree, six squirrel tales sticking out from behind.

Old Man Fookwire is characterized with long skinny arms and legs, bald head, glasses propped on a pointy nose and a mouth which from time to time appears almost beakish.  Perhaps he is assuming the qualities of the feathered friends he so admires.  Incredible detail in the squirrels' workshop as they perfect their modes of flight, following their take-off, travel, landing and celebration are fantastically funny.  Salmieri most definitely creates motion and mood expertly.  

The only thing better than laughing out loud when you are reading a book by yourself, is to read it aloud with others, sharing in the laughter.  Those Darn Squirrels Fly South by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri is guaranteed to provoke gales of giggles and glee.  I dare you...I double dog dare you...to read this and not have an ear to ear grin plastered on your face more than once.

Dragons' Dietary Delight

Scattered throughout my home are my TBR piles prominently on display much like pieces of furniture.  I am one of those people, when presented with gifts at my birthday or a holiday, who like to open each one slowly relishing the moment.  For that reason I have many wonderful books stacked waiting to be read which should have been enjoyed months, weeks or even days ago.

One of those titles I was urged to pick up and read right away by Ame Dyckman, author of her first book, Boy + Bot (Alfred A. Knopf), with illustrations by Dan Yaccarino, on Twitter was Dragons Love Tacos (Dial Books for Young Readers), by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Salmieri.    (Amy's book is on the top of my picture book TBR pile.)  Yes, the hoot and holler duo, that brought readers Those Darn Squirrels and  Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door are back.  From a tree-lined backyard with forest critters to one filled with dragons of fantasy, they take flight, fly high and well.

An unseen narrator begins the tale as readers view a boy and his dog in his bedroom decorated with everything a la dragon:

Hey, kid!
Did you know that dragons love tacos?
They love beef tacos and chicken tacos.
They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.

This narrator goes on to propose reasons for this love; the last of three has a distinct air of mystery.  Then the speaker, like a news reporter, moves to the scene of a dragon emerging from a favorite taco take-out shop, asking for answers, reasons why.  Meanwhile the young dragon lover, Robbie, and his furry friend are laying out the fixings for concocting salsa only to discover from the narrator, no less, dragons do not appreciate spicy salsa.

I guess anyone would hate spicy salsa if it made your ears smoke, sparks come from your nose or gave you a stomach ache.  But what dragons do love, in addition to tacos, is parties.  And the best party of all is...you guessed it...a taco party.

With a flurry of preparations completed, oodles and oodles of tacos, getting rid of all the hot sauce and party decorations, dog and boy bask in the fruits of their labors as dragons converge. With the gala event in full swing the voice points to something tiny and green that's been missed.  Yikes!  Holy smokes...

Adam Rubin's use of a narrator makes readers feel as though they are sitting down to hear the words of storyteller; it adds to the intimacy inviting readers to partake in the world of boy, dog and dragons.  When the humor and surprises come it's more potent when shared in this manner.  Listing reasons in groups of three, the repetition of phrases with a single word change for emphasis and the word choices reflecting a conversation among friends,

But wait!...
...oh boy...
...Just remember:...

combine to make this narrative a surefire winner.

Watercolor, gouache and color pencil in the resourceful hands of artist, Daniel Salmieri, most certainly spice up the laughter factor. With endpapers covered in miniature tacos and a title page picturing a silver platter, lid lifted by a purple dragon hand to reveal a delicious looking single taco, readers are welcomed into the world of taco.  Title verso and dedication page spread to include a view of the land of dragon with the Taco Cave in the foreground.

Salmieri's attention to detail encourages readers to pause and grin.  In the boy's bedroom dragons decorate the lampshade next to a bed with medieval towers for bedposts, Kodi, meaning helpful, on the dog's dish, dragons on the dog's collar, a dragon arm reaching into a page giving the thumb's up sign and a taco calendar hanging on a dragon's cave wall are only some of the numerous little extras he provides.  The tiny arms and legs supporting his characters' bodies and the facial expressions on all are so much fun.

Together Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri have in Dragons Love Tacos a book guaranteed to generate giggles and bursts of mindless mirth.  Please follow the link to Daniel Salmieri's website embedded in his name to view more illustrations from this book.  In case you're interested this post was written while consuming not one, not two, not even three but five tacos. (The shells were tiny. Trust me.)

Bold Bushy Brainiacs Are Back

Every bird lover knows that next to birds nothing likes raiding the bird feeders more than squirrels. Author, Adam Rubin, and illustrator, Daniel Salmieri, each debuted into the world of children's books with Those Darn Squirrels (Clarion Books) in 2008.  The winning combination has returned with a worthy sequel, Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door (Clarion Books, May 2, 2011).

Old Man Fookwire, the epitome of grumpiness, still lives in a small aged house near a forest outside of town.  Earlier issues with the squirrels having been resolved, more to the satisfaction of the furry fiends than with Fookwire, manifest themselves in another form; invading his home during the cold days of winter.

They'd warm themselves by the fire and finish the old man's crossword puzzles....Then he'd shake his old-man fist and yell, "Those darn squirrels!"

Spring finally arrives bringing back Fookwire's beloved birds and he joyously begins painting them in earnest until---KABOOM!  KABLAM!  KABLOOEY!

Old Lady Hu, the town baker is moving in next door.  Sweetness defines her demeanor.  Wickedness defines her cat, Muffins.

She is oblivious to his deviousness.  When she delivers a tumbleberry pie to her neighbor, Old Man Fookwire, he hides behind the curtains, the squirrels hide in the drainpipes (cats scare them) and the birds hide in the chimney because everyone else is hiding.   Those darn squirrels hoover the pie and satiated scurry from the house only to be pounced upon by Muffins.

 Wet willies, noogies and wedgies are the new order of business for the squirrels, birds flee terrified and Old Man Fookwire's painting is disrupted.  The intrepid bushy-tailed, bouncing lovers of cheese puffs and ginger ale hatch a plan; a perfect plan.  And everyone lives happily ever after except the cat, that is.  For some reason Muffins never leaves the house next door again.

As he did in the first title, Daniel Salmieri using watercolor, gouache, and colored pencils, creatively compliments Rubin's hilarious narrative.  Skinny legged humans with exaggerated facial expressions that illuminate their respective personalities, scampy squirrels displaying ingenuity that trumps the wildest imagination, birds colored and shaped as if from a land of fairy, and a cat with a grin like "Jaws" provoke loads of laughs. 

You will never look at those darn squirrels in quite the same way again, ever.