Get Lost And Found In A . . .

It happens to all of us regardless of the length.  When the last word is read and the cover is closed, we look up.  For a few moments, we are confused as to where and when we are.  We are still lost in a story, a story other than our real lives.  Not only are we still part of the world within those pages, but we come away with having found something.  It may be something we have misplaced or misunderstood or something fresh and new.

This is the gift of a book, given to us again and again whenever the cover is opened.  Authored by Grace Lin and Kate Messner with illustrations by Grace Lin, Once Upon a Book (Little, Brown And Company, February 07, 2023) is a layered narrative with hidden references to other titles and different cultures. It is a story of longing and belonging.

Alice was tired of heavy sweaters and thick

socks and staying inside with nothing to do.

As she grumpily walked away from her mother, wishing to be away from the constant chilly and cloudy weather, she noticed a book on the floor. Its pages gently flipped in the air.  Reading it aloud prompted the birds in the illustration to invite her into the book.

When Alice stepped into the book, the book she was reading appeared there, too.  The warm air and the birds as playmates suited Alice perfectly. until it started to rain.  Using the book like an umbrella, Alice continued reading and wished for somewhere dry.

Several camels asked her to join them in the desert.  Riding on a camel through the desert was grand until a dust storm began.  Alice did not stop reading.  What she read next encouraged the inhabitants to welcome her into their world.  Away she went.

Two more times, Alice was not quite as satisfied as she believed she would be in a new and distinctive setting.  With her final wish, she read words describing a place memorable and comfortable to her.  A voice she had heard her entire life said,

"Turn the page."

What do you think Alice did?

Authors Grace Lin and Kate Messner have penned an imaginative, immersive and original circle story.  They have masterfully used classic storytelling elements.  The places Alice visits are enticingly descriptive, appealing to the reader's senses.  Each time Alice reads from the book, the inhabitant (s) of that place request she joins them.  This is followed by the same reply from Alice.  Now at a new setting, she continues to read until something specific interrupts her satisfaction.  This repetition fashions a participatory rhythm. We can't wait to read where Alice will venture next!  The blend of text from Alice's book, her commentary, and the words of the beings inside the book take readers on a remarkable journey.  Here is a passage.

"I wish I were someplace that wasn't so

cramped and crowded." Then Alice read,

So the girl went to a place of wide-open blue,

where she would be boundless and free.

"That sounds like our home,"

said the clouds.  "Turn the page

and come in . . ."

The open dust jacket reveals a single large image.  It is the open book read by Alice.  Four of the book's corners bleed off the edges of the jacket.  Tropical birds fly from the upper, left-hand corner, across the spine to the lush flora of the forest.  Hidden in this forest is a white rabbit, a companion who joins Alice on her adventures within the pages of the book.  Notice the fabric of the dress Alice is wearing.  This is intentional by artist Grace Lin.  The title text and Alice are raised to the touch on this glossy dust jacket.

The book case is a bright, shiny red.  The only element on the case is a white rabbit in the lower, right-hand corner on the front, right side.  The rabbit is leaping upward.  

On the opening endpapers is Alice's home.  Icy sleet falls on the snow-covered roof and ground.  A snowman creates a mound in the snow with only a head and one arm remaining.  A flamingo is walking to the left, placed at the far corner of the house.  A cat sits in the large picture window.  Alice looks outside from a window on the right.  She is not happy.

On the closing endpapers is Alice's home.  What we see in the windows is altered.  It is evening and the sleet has stopped.  A full moon hangs in the sky.  A rabbit is curled within its boundaries.

With a page turn we find ourselves at the dedication, verso and title pages.  Rabbit slippers belonging to Alice are tossed on the far left.  Clothes make a pathway to Alice as she takes her print, sleeveless dress from her dresser.  On top of the dresser, readers will want to notice the items there.

These gorgeous illustrations by Grace Lin were rendered 

in gouache on Arches hot press Watercolor Paper.

Pausing to look at each visual will reveal to readers undisclosed tiny elements.  When Alice first begins to read the book before stepping into the story, the mix of reality and imagination is wonderfully portrayed.  I can only wonder at the gasps when readers see her first walk into the book.

The luminous, vibrant colors in each setting are breathtaking.  Whether we are viewing the story from a more panoramic perspective or close-up, we cannot help but feel as if we are there with Alice.  Astute readers will notice that each time Alice goes into a new setting, her dress becomes the hue of her surroundings, forest green, sandy brown, sea green, sky blue or charcoal or black, until she arrives where she began.  All of the illustrations are double-page images except for the first one.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Alice is still in the forest.  She is holding the book over her head in the rain and continues to read.  She is looking up at the open book.  We see the book as if we are Alice.  The gutter in the book matches the gutter in this book.  A tropical bird rests on her arm, looking at the book.  To the left of the gutter, two other birds look at the book along with a butterfly.  Peering down from the upper, right-hand corner is a part of the rabbit's head. Superb.

This title, Once Upon a Book, written by Grace Lin and Kate Messner with artwork by Grace Lin is wondrous.  To read this book aloud is to take listeners on the best kind of adventure, one of the mind's inventions.  I can already think of wonderful discussions.  Where else might Alice go?  What might cause her to want to leave?  This is a book to share often and widely.  It is a book to gift to others.  I highly recommend it for all your collections.

To discover more about Grace Lin and Kate Messner, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Grace Lin has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is a video you must watch.  Here Grace Lin talks about her illustrations.  Grace Lin, Kate Messner and this book are featured on NPR Books, KidLit TV, KQED Mindshift, The Harvard Crimson, and an upcoming PBS Books event on March 1.

They Were Designing Women

There are still two huge trunks filled with fabric.  This fabric is richly spun and colored in an array of breathtaking motifs.  Some have been used to fashion gifts for newborns or lifelong friends.  Others await to be paired with collected patterns for clothing, interior home decor, or quilts.  A few, a very few, are there simply because of their beauty.

Two recent publications feature extraordinary women; women who were drawn to fabric and what can be made from fabric.  Both harnessed their passion, their talent, for design to rise to the top of their respective artistic realms.  Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey with illustrations by Diana Toledano, Dressing Up The Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 20, 2022) is the story of a young girl, a behind-the-scenes person, who grew to transform settings and characters through her personal perspectives.

Edith was a shy, lonely girl who didn't feel she belonged where she lived.  She wanted to be in a place full of people and sounds and dazzling sights.

Edith's family lived in a small town near a mine due to her stepfather's employment.  As far as her eyes could see was stone and sand.  To keep her loneliness at bay, Edith held tea parties for her animal friends and dressed them in doll clothes, necklaces and huge ribbons.

Sometimes when her family traveled four miles to the nearby town of Searchlight, Nevada, Edith would go door to door asking for pieces of fabric to place in her treasured bag.  Back at home she would use these pieces to sew accessories for her pet horned toads.  Unafraid Edith roamed the desert alone, but when she made costumes for sisters in a play, she stayed behind the curtain.

Edith longed to leave the desert.  Finally, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles so she could attend a high school.  Here, she tried to figure out the path she would take, but it was at the local movie theater she felt a dream start to grow.

After college and several years of teaching, Edith got a job as a sketch artist in a costume department.  Her boss recognized her lack of skills, but instead of firing her, he taught her.  At first Edith's designs were far from good, but she practiced and practiced and practiced.  She was finally making costumes . . . for movie animals.

From there, Edith was asked to fit humans with costumes.  She was not an instant success, but years of work lead to her eventual prominence.  One special night, the first of eight such nights, Edith heard her name announced in a large venue filled with movie people.  The lonely little girl was now a star!

In her writing of this biography, Jeanne Walker Harvey allows readers, regardless of their age, to find portions of themselves in the life of this woman.  Readers can identify with her loneliness, shyness, trying to discover her life's work, and pursuit, however hard, of a creative style.  Jeanne Walker Harvey includes specific details such as the names of the burros Edith, as a little girl, embellished with ribbons, a personal quote by Edith and the disastrous particulars of candy costumes for characters attending a glamorous dance.  In the beginning of this narrative, an adjective is used to describe Edith's big wish.  It is used again as the last word in the last sentence.  This is a wonderful writing technique.  Here is a passage.

Instead, she dressed up animals.

They were not easy clients.

Camels spit on her.  Elephants yanked off their decorations.

Edith missed her desert toads and burros, who let her

adorn them without a fuss.

But Edith was confident.

When viewing the open and matching dust jacket and book case, the bright white background highlights the exquisitely rendered elements in Diana Toledano's signature illustrative interpretation.  To the right of the spine, on the front, we see Edith Head at the height of her career amid fabric and fashions designed by her.  To the left of the spine, on the back, Edith, as a little girl, is seated.  Here she is surrounded by pieces of fabric and sewing accessories like buttons, pins, needles and thread.  She is carefully stitching a hat for one of her horned toads.  On the front, the main title text is raised to the touch.  Here and on the back, the colorful elements are varnished.

On the opening and closing endpapers and on the first and last pages, on a white canvas, Diana Toledano has placed beautifully patterned, in two hues of muted blue, an array of clothing and accessories.  Each item is part of a pleasing whole.  On the title page, again in full color, we see Edith Head's hands as she works at her desk covered with drawings of possible designs. 

This artwork was created

by hand using many techniques:  gouache, collage, colored pencils, crayons, pastels, and more.  

It was digitally edited.  Most of the images are double-page pictures.  For those that are not, several smaller illustrations are grouped to show the passage of time or a series of similar events.

Intricately detailed visuals portray and enhance the text marvelously.  We feel the vastness of the barren landscape, home to Edith as a child.  We rejoice in her imaginative play and sewing endeavors.  We feel as though we are seated with her in the movie theater when she is a teen.  We struggle when she struggles and cheer when she is triumphant.  The patterns used in each of these images all allude to her lifetime accomplishments. 

One of my many favorite illustrations is a two-page nighttime scene.  Along the bottom of the pages are rolling sandy and rocky hills.  There are hints of desert flora on these hills.  On the left side, near a bush or perhaps a cactus, Edith sits, legs outstretched and leaning on her arms behind her.  Her head is tilted up.  The deep blue sky is filled with red, pink, blue, purple and white stars along with a crescent moon.  Etched in the stars, in white, are city buildings.  Edith wished to leave the desert and live in a big city. 

Readers will certainly be inspired when reading Dressing Up The Stars: The Story of Movie Costume Designer Edith Head written by Jeanne Walker Harvey with illustrations by Diana Toledano.  From gathering scraps of fabric by going door to door in a tiny desert town to making costumes for famous actors and actresses in Hollywood, this woman rose to the top through perseverance.  There is a list of books and websites as resources at the end of this title.  You will want to place a copy of this fascinating biography in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jeanne Walker Harvey and Diana Toledano and their other work, please access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Jeanne Walker Harvey has accounts on Pinterest and Twitter.  Diana Toledano has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website, you can download some activity sheets and view interior images as well as the dust jacket. The cover reveal with author and illustrator conversations is at John Schu's Watch. Connect. Read.  The book trailer premiered at KidLitTV.  This title with interviews is highlighted at author Erin Dealey's site, Geeks Out, Mutually Inclusive, and Alfred Hitchcock Master.

Sometimes, we become our best selves because we are enveloped by it for as long as we can remember.  It is a part of every moment of our lives.  It is fostered by those we love and who love us.  Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe (Chronicle Books, October 18, 2022) written by Kate Messner and Margaret E. Powell with illustrations by Erin K. Robinson chronicles the growth of Ann Lowe into a remarkable talent.  Her hard work, in the face of unjust odds, sets her apart and cements her place in history.

In a stately Alabama

mansion, women in bright dresses

twirl before a mirror.

Their gowns glow like moonlight---

glimmering fabrics and 

the soft sheen of pearls. 

In another part of town, a ball has begun.  It is here those gowns worn by those women swirl around the dance floor.  Away from the festivities, a young girl wanders in a garden marveling at the perfection of its flowers.  She dreams of forming this perfection from fabric.  

Inside, in a shop, Ann's grandmother and mother sew gowns from rolls of fabric.  She gathers the scraps, making blossoms from cloth.  Her mother teaches her to make dresses and gowns from brown paper patterns.  She learns how to finish each creation with flare and precision.

As New Year's Eve approaches one year, Ann's mother becomes ill and passes away.  Ann hides her sorrow and finishes all those gowns for all those ladies.  A year passes and Ann is on her way to Florida to sew for a wealthy family.  Soon, Tampa is talking about the one-of-a-kind dresses made by Ann.  Ann dreams of seeing her dresses in fashion magazines.  Knowing she needs to learn more, she heads to New York City.

Studying at the S. T. Taylor School in Manhattan is hard for a Black student.  Working alone in a separate room, Ann flourishes and completes the course with honors.  Returning to Florida, she works even more, saving for her own shop.  Still frustrated, Ann returns to New York City, asking for work in the most prestigious shop.  Ann simply won't take no for an answer.  She completes a dress, returns to the shop, and that same day her dress is sold.

Ann's work at the shop is impeccable and highly prized.  She is asked to make the wedding gown for Jacqueline Bouvier and the dresses for her party.  A week before the wedding, disaster strikes.  Ann is not deterred.  She is determined to deliver the gown and dresses herself.  Yet again, she finds herself relegated to second-class status.  This is simply not Ann.  This is simply not the best.  Did she prevail?

Through the writing of Kate Messner and Margaret E. Powell, the magic felt by those who wore Ann Lowe's designs and that magic she lovingly sewed into them is brought fully to life.  Lyrical text filled with highly descriptive places and times fashions an intimate portrait for readers.  Repetition of words and phrases draws us into the story with its cadence.  The knowledge these authors have garnered from their study and research is evident in the facts folded into the narrative.  Here is a passage.

Ann folds up her feelings and

tucks away her tears.  She works

day and night, the way her mother

taught her.  Only the best will do.

Measure, snip, pin up the hems.

Thread the needle.

Pull the stitch tight.

Embroider the last lovely bloom. 

In a word, the images by Erin K. Robinson are enchanting.  The pattern of a blue-hued background with shades of pink and purple flowers amid greenery extends from the front, across the spine, and to the far left edge.  The looping ribbon ties the two portions together.  Elegantly seated in a chair, Ann Lowe is beneath the three words which guided her work.  The three word main title text and three circular designs are varnished. 

The book case takes the pattern from the back of the dust jacket and uses it for the back of the case.  This pattern continues in a mirror image on the front of the case.  The ribbon shown on the jacket remains along the bottom on both sides of the case.  There is the addition of the larger circular element shown on the jacket to the curve made by the ribbon on both the front and back of the book case.  (If this is fabric designed by Ann Lowe, any person wearing it would feel heavenly.)

A pale cream infused with hints of pink covers the opening and closing endpapers.  There is a textured hint of flowers on a vine close to the bottom of the pages.  We see scissors, needle and thread and a dressmaker's form within this artwork along with leaves and those circular elements.  The verso and title pages are joined by two pink ribbons.  A floral arrangement frames the four corners of the text on the title page.

Rendered

digitally in Procreate

each page turn reveals another double-page visual (or a few single-page pictures) certain to envelope readers.  We feel as though we are intertwined into the fabric of Ann Lowe's life.  We are there as she walks in the garden as a child.  We are there when she makes flowers from fabric scraps.  We are there, looking down on her and her mother, as she learns to make and use patterns.  We are there as she watches Jacqueline Kennedy's gown billow about her on her wedding day.  We are there when she sews wherever and whenever she can.  Erin K. Robinson uses texture, pattern, light and shadow to great effect.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  It is when Ann's mother is teaching her to cut patterns.  The color palette is a soothing selection of peach shades, pale blue, pale green, and a warm gray.  The fabric on the table before the mother and daughter is enlarged to fill the left side.  There they are placed as if we are looking down on them.  Their hands are on the table with the fabric and brown paper patterns.  A pair of scissors awaits use.  This is a tender moment of a mother's hand on her child's hand, guiding them.  An enlarged ribbon loops through the top and bottom of the visual.

Learning of this woman's life through reading Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe written by Kate Messner and Margaret E. Powell with illustrations by Erin K. Robinson will leave you in awe of her resolve.  At the close of the book is a two-page Author's Note.  This is followed by Quotations in Order of Events (two and one half pages) upon which portions of this book are based.  This is followed by a one and one-half page bibliography.  Your picture book biography collections, professional and personal, will be strengthened by containing a copy of this title.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Erin K. Robinson and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their current websites.  Sadly, Margaret E. Powell passed away in 2019.  Here is a link to a guest post she did on Kate's site in 2017.  Her Twitter account is still active.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Erin K. Robinson has an account on Instagram.  

Water Is . . .

The wind has been gusting between twenty and thirty miles per hour for more than twenty-four hours.  People in our area have been warned to stay out of the water due to high waves and strong currents.  Despite the wind chill currently at below fifty degrees, surf boards can be seen in vehicles at the park along Michigan Beach.  Lake Michigan, at the tip of the Mitt, has been wild and beautiful today. (September 22, 2022)

There is something soothing about the proximity of a large body of water, calm or wild.  It is essential to life on our planet, especially to those creatures living within or around that large body of water.  In their sixth book, author Kate Messner and artist Christopher Silas Neal give us the lovely Over and Under the Waves (Chronicle Books, September 13, 2022).  For those who have rarely traversed or never been in water larger than one of the Great Lakes or inland lakes in the United States, this book takes us on a memorable exploration.

Over the waves we paddle, away from

the beach to the water's deep blue.

Two red kayaks glide. In one is a mother and child.  In the other is the father.  They first encounter a group of sea lions basking on a cluster of rocks.  One leaves and dives into the water.

When the child questions where the sea lion goes, their mother speaks of the world beneath their kayaks and the plants and animals living there.  As they continue to paddle, under them different fish of different sizes and colors swim.  In the sky, pelicans search over the kayaks.  

As their kayaks slide into a

forest of kelp

the child holds tight to some to stay in place.  Their mother notes sea otters do the same thing.  A female otter floats, with her child, on top of the water and another swims through the kelp in search of food.

Slicing through the water, the family notices sea birds above them looking for their next meal as a leopard shark does the same below them.  In the distance, whales have surfaced.  Can they move closer to the whales?  Will they surface again?

Homeward bound the kayaks move.  They cannot see the giant octopus under them, but they do see the abundant life in the small tide pools and along the sand. Now home and near sleep, the child can still hear the sea.  It moves and lulls life under the waves in a timeless melody.

Author Kate Messner has the adept ability to bring the magic she encounters in her adventures to the printed page for us.  Her word choices are highly descriptive, fashioning a portrait of the place.  She includes a bit of dialogue and sound effects to heighten our participation.  Throughout the book, she names specific plant and animal life and their habits. Here is a passage.

The bay has gone quiet.  We wait,

rising and falling on the swells.

     Under the waves, pale moon jellies

     float and sea nettles drift, swinging

     with the slow current.

"We should head back," Mom says, but then . . .

As you look at the stunning image spanning left to right, back to front, on the matching and open dust jacket and book case, you are truly over and under the waves.  The illustration crosses the spine flawlessly.  To the left of the spine and above the kelp forest, a school of tiny fish moves from the left edge to the spine.  The bay water rises to nearly the top of the left side.  On the front, the position of the pelican and other shore birds is impeccable. Look at the comparison of the kayaks with the whale!  Wow!

The opening and closing endpapers are a brilliant blue.  It is the kind of blue when the sky is crystal clear and reflected in the water.  There is a pattern of starfish, scallop shells, and fish with air bubbles in white on that blue canvas.   

Artist Christopher Silas Neal begins his pictorial interpretation on the verso and title pages.  Here we see a panoramic view of the cottage where the family is staying.  It is at the top of a grassy hill with a triple staircase leading down to the beach and the red kayaks.  In front of this is the bay and along the bottom of the pages, we see beneath the water.

Each of the double-page pictures and single-page pictures

rendered in mixed media

involve us deeply in the family's excursion.  We are treated to breathtaking seascape views.  Sometimes we are close to the family as they are noticing the world around them.  We see vast scenes under the water and sometimes we move close to the residents there.  At times we are looking down on the kayakers as if we are one of the sea birds.  Often we are able to see over and under the waves at the same time.  Careful readers will notice the sky changing as the day comes to a close and dusk descends.

One of my many favorite images is a single-page picture.  We are looking down on a pelican in flight that fills a large portion of the page.  Beneath the bird are two other pelicans, much smaller and much lower to the water.  On the water are the two red kayaks; the family holding their paddles at rest.  Pelicans in flight invite our attention; silent sentinels that they are.

For those who have never visited the sea or an ocean or who have and wish they could be there again, this book, Over and Under the Waves written by Kate Messner with art by Christopher Silas Neal, is the ideal title.  At the close of the book is an Author's Note.  This is followed by several pages of information about the individual twenty-two flora and fauna mentioned in the text.  There is also a page dedicated to a list of books and websites for further information about Monterey Bay and what you might find over and under the waves.  This book is a stellar addition to a fabulous series.  You will want a copy in both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  There are interior images from this book at Christopher Silas Neal's website.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Christopher Silas Neal has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Twitter.

In Your Own Words

 Readers, regardless of how often or how long they read, base what they read on personal preferences.  They want to be captivated, engaged, and interested whether their choice is fiction or nonfiction.  If they are intrigued by a subject, they will seek every source to quell their thirst for information.  If they prefer one genre or format over another, they will read favorite titles repeatedly.  A reader knows what keeps their reader's heart beating.

Consequently, when you write, it will be fueled by those subjects, genres or formats you find most appealing.  In a companion title to How To Read A Story (Chronicle Books, May 5, 2015) author Kate Messner and illustrator Mark Siegel collaborate again to bring us How To Write A Story (Chronicle Books, July 7, 2020). 

Through a series of numbered and easy to understand statements with accompanying and expanded hints and animated illustrations, this duo makes a map aspiring writers will enjoy following.  In fact, this will be a quest they'll embrace over and over again. 

STEP 1

SEARCH FOR AN IDEA---

a shiny one.

Sometimes, an idea will land right in front of you.  Other times, you need to think a bit.  You don't have to be thrilled with the idea or even know anything about it, but it is perfectly fine if it is one of your life's passions.  Remember, don't worry if your idea is not shiny in the beginning.

Once you have your idea, you need to determine where this idea will be placed and when it will grow.  Will it be at your soccer field at the stroke of midnight?  Your main character can be anyone you desire, but for the story to continue they should be presented with a problem.  It can be a little challenge or one that's out of this world.  Whatever your character needs to overcome, make it as full of action as possible.

Many times, when you read a book, it is like watching a movie in your mind.  This is the type of descriptive detail you should have in your writing.  The next thing to remember is no story is rarely in its final form when first written.  It needs to be refined.  What will you do to make it better?

As you read through your story multiple times, look for grammatical and spelling errors. Is this the kind of story which will captivate, engage, and interest you?  Dazzle potential readers with a memorable title.  The true test of your story is to share it with others.  Share it with your dog, your best friend, or a group of listeners.  You know what you need to do now.  

STEP 1

Not only is author Kate Messner prolific, but her ability to pen a book for a wide audience is masterful.  Whether she is writing fiction or nonfiction, picture books or young adult novels, she meticulously presents a thoughtful and well-researched narrative.  In this title, her ten steps are strengthened with conversational suggestions having allure for numerous young authors (older authors, also).  Her advice inspires possibilities, provides examples, and encourages exploration.  Here is an additional passage.

STEP 3

CHOOSE A MAIN CHARACTER

That's the person who grows and

changes the most as the story unfolds.

You can brainstorm and draw your

main character if you want.  . . .  

The character on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case is contentedly focused on her writing.  It is clear she has already received guidance on how to write a story.  Spread before her are several pages for one story or the beginnings of several stories.  It's as if she has written down the musings of her mind.  Many of the elements are varnished.  To the left, on the back, the golden color shown at the top of the front is used to fashion yellow and white vertical stripes.  This is a playful, lighthearted design. 

On the opening and closing endpapers, and verso page, two hues of pink supply another vertical stripe pattern.  On the title page, to the right and next to some of the text, is a stack of materials used by writers, notebooks, sticky notes, and a pencil.  The colors and motif on the back of the jacket and case and endpapers is used again in the clothing of the main character.

Rendered

in ink and watercolor

these illustrations by Mark Siegel extend the text in cheerful depictions of setting and featured humans and animals.  There are charcoal gray squirrels in most of the images, either in a natural setting or as humorous extra characters.  When the girl is thinking, colorful speech clouds hold her thoughts.  Readers of the first title will be pleased to see the return of two members of that book's cast.  The illustration size is either bold, two-page pictures or spirited full-page images.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a single-page picture.  It is enhancing the words:

or something a bit more adventurous . . .

In large capital letters in light purple we read:

SEA 

MONSTER HATCHES

IN CITY AQUARIUM!

These words run into a large, angry and hungry-looking orange monster with spikes, long claws and huge teeth.  It is half in and half out of the aquarium water with frightened fish and seaweed visible.  Two visitors to the aquarium in a darker shade of blue (against the turquoise of the water) are running away and screaming with their hands stretched out for speed and in fright.

This title, How To Write A Story written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Mark Siegel, is a valuable and entertaining asset for writers at every stage of development.  It's clarity, purpose and charming images combine to make it a stellar choice for your personal or professional libraries.  You might want to pair this book with Peter H. Reynolds' The Word Collector or Rocket Writes A Story by Tad Hills.

To discover more about Kate Messner and Mark Siegel and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram (private), and Twitter.  Mark Siegel has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Kate Messner wrote a guest post at author Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations and at School Library Journal about writing.  Kate Messner is interviewd at educator Katherine Sokolowski's Read Write Reflect and LitWorld.

"I Do Solemnly Swear (Or Affirm)"

In the past one hundred years, humanity has rarely been more humbled.  In the midst of this global pandemic, the importance of qualified, focused and unwavering leadership is vitally apparent.  Those who lead must succeed.

In the United States the Constitution determines how our government functions. Three branches, legislative, judicial and executive, provide for a separation of powers.  Of these three, a new book release focuses on the leader of the executive branch.  The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents (Chronicle Books, March 24, 2020) written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Adam Rex approaches this office by examining what those people were before they served.  This blend of truth and extraordinary artwork takes readers down an enlightening and inspirational path.

Quick: Name The President of the United States.

In an introduction we are reminded regardless of when in history this sentence is read, there is only a single president serving.  It is proposed that in any year, others who will hold this office in the future are already engaged in a variety of activities depending on their age and circumstances.  There are also those who have yet to be born.  These premises guide this intriguing narrative.

We begin in 1789 with George Washington as president number one.  We are told nine future presidents are already alive.  Fascinating facts about presidents two, three, four and five are offered.  James Madison is already at work in Congress.  As president he is the smallest, weighing around one hundred pounds.  Presidents number six and seven, in 1789, are engaged in the same occupation.  Can you guess what it is?  Of presidents eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve, three are children and two are not born yet.

Two snapshots, interludes in the main narrative, reveal little known information about future presidents Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln.  It is now 1841.  President number nine is sworn into office.  Many more future presidents are alive at this time.  Of them, one is the grandson, of this ninth president.  Others are working as legislators, studying law, attending school or serving in the military.  In the next snapshot we are acquainted with the menagerie of pets held by six presidents.  Which one has a bear named Jonathan Edwards?

In 1897 when William McKinley assumes his duties as president, presidents twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty and thirty-one are alive.  One of them is overseeing

a gold-mining operation in Australia.

The following three presidents are still children.  In their youth their activities resemble those of other boys, detailed notebooks of collections, reading biographies, family gardening and playing sports.

By 1961 the youngest president to serve, to date, John Fitzgerald Kennedy recites the oath of office.  All the future presidents including the one currently in the White House are alive.  Of these ten one earns money for college by working in the orange groves of California and washing dishes.  Another is a sports announcer.  A third individual is born in Hawaii.  It is this one who will change the course of history.  We are challenged as readers to speculate about future presidents, some already alive.

What are they doing right now?


Readers will be captivated by the presentation style employed by author Kate Messner in this book. By stating a year when an individual president is sworn into office, she opens the door to exploring future presidents alive (or not) at that time.  She adheres as much as possible to giving facts about each one in the chronological order of their time in office.  To add further interest her Snapshots between years delve deeper into individuals or a common interest shared by several.

Her research, as always is meticulous.  She searches for those unusual, but important, pieces of information about each man.  These details offer a fact-based view and history of this country's leaders.  Here is a passage about

President 12, four-year old Zachary Taylor, was living with
two older brothers on the Kentucky farmland his father had
been given for serving in the Revolutionary War.


What you can't see on the front of the dust jacket are the raised elements and changes in color.  The word The, the subtitle and tiny design like stitching which acts to tie other items together are in a burnished gold foil.  The words Next President are varnished in red.  An excellent feature is the glowing around the indistinguishable figure standing in the doorway of the White House.  To the left, on the back of the jacket, on a very pale blue background three paragraphs depict the main idea of the book.  A gold star is placed under the first word.  The tiny design loops and waves along the bottom and top.  Figures carrying flags with their number as president are following two children, a young woman and a little girl.  They are holding flags numbered 51 and 53.

On the book case the gold, zipper-like line loops from the left on the back to the spine.  Three tiny stars, white, red and gold are placed on the left.  On the front of the book case is a truly stunning image of the Oval Office focusing on the Resolute desk.  The room is in shadow except for a spot of light on the President's chair and the upper center front of the desk.

On the opening and closing endpapers a pale orange canvas is used.  On the first the golden line from the left takes us to the right and a map of the United States, the lower forty-eight, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Territories.  These maps are placed on pedestals.  Stars on strings hang from the top on the right.  On the closing endpapers, the line waves and loops from the left, where the publication information is shown, to the right.  On a pedestal numbered 16, sits Abraham Lincoln with one hand lifted in greeting.

On the initial title page, George Washington stands on a pedestal numbered one with his left hand raised. A two-page illustration for the formal title page features presidents eleven, twenty-two, thirty-three, and forty-four on the left.  The text is spread across both pages.  Under the text on the right is a pedestal numbered 55.  Six children from all races and ethnic backgrounds circle around it.

These digitally rendered pictures by artist Adam Rex request you to pause at every page turn.  They are an extraordinary blend of the past with the present and of the real with the imagined.  The smallest of details, the historical accuracy and visual interpretation are stellar.

In the first two-page pictures, an artist is painting a portrait of George Washington, the frame held by an African American.  A portion of the American flag supplies a background as other African Americans lift the White House to its place.  In front of this on the right presidents two through five are engaged in heated discussions.  Each page is connected to the previous page and the following page by the element of gold lines.

Whether the images are double-page pictures, single-page pictures or a mix of smaller illustrations together, the seamless flow is evident.  When necessary full color will fade to line drawings. Most page turns will showcase a special blue hue.  Readers will find themselves looking to see where Adam Rex places the number connected to each president.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations spans two pages.  It highlights presidents thirty-two, thirty-three and thirty-four.  On the left a huge set of sails covers most of that page and crosses the gutter.  In the sailboat is FDR with 32 on the bow of the boat.  The water crosses the gutter and becomes the rush of air as Dwight D. Eisenhower swings at a baseball. (His number is stuck in the dirt of the garden like a seed packet marker.) The ball flies into the darker shaded area beneath a piano. On the piano bench sits Harry Truman legs crossed and reading. His number appears where the brand of piano would normally appear.


There are books about individual presidents.  There are books with collected information about the presidents BUT none of them are as fabulous in format, words and illustrations as The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Adam Rex.  At the close of the book are pages about Presidential Birthplaces, Presidential Requirements, The Changing Face Of America's Presidency and A Presidential Bookshelf: Suggestions For Further Reading.  These are followed by a two-page bibliography.  I can't imagine a personal or professional collection without at least one copy (or more) of this title.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Adam Rex, please follow the links attached to their names to access their personal websites.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Adam Rex has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  At author, reviewer and blogger, Julie Danielson features this book on her blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  There are many process pieces of art.  At the Nerdy Book Club Kate Messner interviews Adam Rex. Please enjoy this video Kate Messner prepared for readers.

 

UPDATE:  Today, November 8, 2020, Kate Messner and Adam Rex did a read aloud of this book.  Here is the link.   You will love this!  In light of the election results, there is additional commentary.  Many thanks to these creators for this gift to readers.


I hope you will take a few moments to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to see the other titles selected this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Ferocious, Forceful, Fantastic Bugs

In nine days, the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, will be marked on calendars in the northern hemisphere.  We've had more than six inches of snow blanket the ground in the last 48 hours with more currently falling.  Below normal temperatures for several days this week and high winds formed sizable drifts.  At night animals are on the move as evidenced by their tracks and trails left in the snow, but there is a huge population of critters not visible this time of year.

Some of them are downright pesky and not missed at all, even though we know they are essential in the chain of life.  Others as evidenced by Insect Superpowers: 18 real bugs that smash, zap, hypnotize, sting, and devour! (Chronicle Books, November 5, 2019) written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Jillian Nickell are not only vital but display capabilities similar to champions of comics.  Their skills are astounding.

AN INSECT FAMILY TREE
All living organisms are identified using a system called biological classification, where they're organized based on common characteristics.  This organization starts big---by asking questions like, "Is it a plant, animal, or something else?"---and it gets more specific as it goes along.

Each category,

domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species

are explained in their most basic form and one insect, the Monarch Butterfly is used as an example, citing all eight classifications.  After these four pages, the superpower descriptors are divided into chapter headings,

Fast & Fierce
Great Imposters
Big & Tough
Masters of Chemical Weaponry
Engineers & Architects and
Amazing Ants.

Within these chapters each featured insect is given a superpower name based upon their performances.

You would think with a name like robber fly this insect is some kind of super sleuth but it's a speed demon when in flight.  If you are its unfortunate prey, you are doomed to become a liquid form of food.  Did you know the six-spotted tiger beetle can move faster than five miles per hour?  There is a bug clever enough to mimic an orchid and lure in unsuspecting food.  Its powerful jaws allow it to feast on other insects three times its size.  If you think the only reason fireflies, especially the females, flash their light is to find a mate, you'll be shocked by the behavior of one species.  If you are a male Photinus ignitus, take flight and avoid the light.

There is a grasshopper, Little Barrier Island giant weta, residing in New Zealand.  As the

heaviest insect in the world 

it tips the scale at 35 grams or .077 pounds.  That's one big bug!  It scares rats away by lifting its wicked-looking hind legs.  The black and white shell of the Texas Ironclad beetle is so hard a drill is sometimes necessary to pierce its shell when scientists are studying a deceased bug.  And you won't believe what someone did to the shell of one of these living beetles.  Can you imagine a bug that can shoot a toxic mixture out its rear at five hundred to one thousand bursts per second?  Beware the African bombardier beetle.  If you were a specific termite living in Australia your face is your best weapon, shooting out a gooey glue to immobilize attacking ants.

There is a bug that builds holes in sand to trap food, one that farms fungus and another that confuses its predator by emitting its own sonar sound.  Many of us are aware ant bites can be itchy and achy but one ant, the Bullet ant, has an extremely painful sting.  The final noted insect, Siafu ant, has terrifying jaws.  They travel in troops of millions . . . yes, millions.  Nothing is safe in their path.  The talents of these insects are terrifying, especially to other insects and wild and domestic creatures, but you can't, nonetheless, resist being astonished and give them their due respect.


Through her careful research, author Kate Messner presents facts in multiple ways to appeal to a variety of readers.  For each insect we learn their:

common name,
aliases,
super-scientific name,
trademark features,
size (metric),
secret hideout, 
superpower,
favorite food,
allies and
archenemy.

By selecting these words, she is keeping to the superhero theme.  In other text boxes each insect's characteristics and defining actions are portrayed.  Sometimes a probable scenario is showcased with step-by-step action.  Captivating anecdotes provide unforgettable information.  Here are some passages.

THE DECAPITATOR
A raiding gang
of Asian giant
hornets have been
known to wipe out
a nest of tens
of thousands of 
honeybees in a 
couple of hours. 

The hornets use their powerful mandibles to tear
the bees apart, often ripping off heads, legs, and 
wings.  Then the hornets carry the bees' larvae
back to the nest, chew them into balls, and feed
them to the hornet larvae.


The front and back of the open book case has huge reader appeal.  The layout and design are an introduction to the comic book, graphic novel, use of panels.  The image on the front is a display of six of the eighteen insects.  To the left, on the back, the Asian giant hornet is showcased within several text boxes along with striking images.  Information about Kate Messner and Jillian Nickell, which would normally appear on the back dust jacket flap, is shown here.

On the left front and back right of the end papers are superpower rays shooting out from the gutter in yellow and green hues.  The pages opposite these are first, the title page and second, at the end, the publication information.  These, in the front, are followed by two pages dedicated to the Contents.  

Rendered in ink and copic marker the full-color illustrations by Jillian Nickell are vibrant and bold.  Panels for text are placed within, above and below illustrative panels.  Geometrically shaped panels house insects which look as though they are going to burst off the pages.

We are brought close to the action.  Sound effect words are large and highly expressive.  Small ribbons further emphasize superpowers with appropriate visuals as well as the insect's archenemy.  So well-portrayed are these insects, it's hard to believe they are not real superheroes, but readers will find themselves grateful they are not the size of humans.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the first page for the Hercules beetle.  Its superhero name is THE WEIGHT LIFTER.  Two text boxes in yellow present seven short facts.  Between these the beetle rises looking like a giant.  Blue and white rays spread out from the center in the background.  The enlarged beetle, which can be seven inches long (180mm), is standing tall and holding a large barbell in its mandibles.


Whether a reader is a fan of bugs or not, this book, Insect Superpowers: 18 real bugs that smash, zap, hypnotize, sting, and devour! written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Jillian Nickell, will keep them reading, probably in a single sitting.  At the close of the book, a question,

Could super insects take over the world someday?

leads to a discussion by the author.  This is followed by a list of books and websites.  These bugs are a part of our world.  The more we know about them, the easier it is to understand their purpose.  This book is a wonderful resource for your personal and professional collections.  It's easy to see this book as a read aloud in a classroom setting or a book group or as a part of an insect unit.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Jillian Nickell and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Kate Messner has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Jillian Nickell has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


Please take a few moments to view the titles selected this week by other participants in the 2019 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge by visiting Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

A Soul Of The Ocean

Home to one of the most diverse collections of life, coral reefs are known as the rainforests of the sea.  Although they cover less than two percent of the ocean bottom, it is believed one quarter of all ocean species depend on them for food and shelter.  (Ocean Portal Team, Smithsonian.  "Corals and Coral Reefs." Ocean Find Your Blue, Smithsonian, April 2018, ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/corals-and-coral-reefs.)  They are vital to life on our planet but they are dying.

There are champions recognizing the danger of the diminishing coral reefs.  They are working tirelessly to renew these valuable places in our oceans.  The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding The World's Coral Reefs: The Story Of Ken Nedimyer And The Coral Restoration Foundation (Chronicle Books, May 8, 2018) written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Matthew Forsythe portrays the life of one of these champions.

It starts with one.

It's dark.  The full moon has come and gone but this phase is a signal for a magnificent event on our coral reefs.  On this one night millions of tiny gametes are released.  One will start a new coral; more coral equals a new reef.

Growing up close to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and having a father work for NASA meant Ken Nedimyer saw his share of rockets climbing into space.  Unlike his father Ken did not lift his head to the sky but sought the beauty in the surrounding ocean.  He was fascinated with men like Jacques Cousteau.  His greatest joy came in swimming the reefs of the Florida Keys.

Ken went from snorkeling to scuba diving.  He filled his bedroom with aquariums so he could examine gathered specimens.  One summer when exploring his favorite place, he noticed there were less fish and the reefs were pale versions of their normal vivid colors.  The sea urchins, essential to the balance on coral reefs, were dying.

Believing there was nothing he could do, Ken, now an adult, had a live rock farm in the Florida Keys.  One night the annual coral spawning event happened near his farm.  Some of those gametes traveled to the rocks and they grew staghorn corals.

Ken and his daughter tried an experiment.  It worked!  Coral pieces could be carefully cemented to rock where it would grow.  Now it was time for another experiment on the reef where Ken dived as a young boy.  Others came to help Ken and his daughter.  This was the beginning of the Coral Restoration Foundation.  These people, volunteers, and Ken were changing the ocean environment.  Never doubt the value of an individual with a singular passion to preserve places on our planet.


Meticulous research is apparent in the narrative written by Kate Messner.  Her sentences reveal her appreciation for the natural realm through her word selections as she weaves gathered facts into almost poetic descriptions of the ocean, coral reefs and the life of Ken Nedimyer.  She further engages readers by inserting groups of questions into the text.  Here is a passage.

The reefs of the Florida Keys
teemed with life.

They painted the ocean floor fire red and murky gold.
How could the reefs grow so large?
What made all the different colors and shapes?
How could such tiny creatures build such
elaborate homes of rock? 


How can you not want to dive along with the boy shown on the matching dust jacket and book case?  The artwork of Matthew Forsythe beckons to readers, asking them to enter this magical space.  The blend of colors, and the design of the fish, the sea turtle, coral and plant life are breathtaking.  On the front, the text, boy's mask and some of the flora and fauna are varnished.  The scene continues over the spine and across the back.

The book case is identical except all the text has been removed.  We are indeed under the sea.  The opening and closing endpapers are "seaweed" green.  Beneath the text on the title page, coral is given a prominent position.

There is a soft texture to the two-page images displayed with every page turn.  The brush strokes depict the angle of light and shadow beautifully.  With each shift in perspective, an important emotion is added to the illustration.  We feel the thrill of exploration when young Ken is snorkeling, the sadness as his flashlight casts a beam on the dying reef and the sea urchins and the building of anticipation as he and his daughter get ready to dive with sea birds circling above them.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when Ken, as a boy, is snorkeling.  On the left side of the image a school of fish are sweeping downward and out toward him on the right.  The sunlight creates bright spots and where it does not reach, darker areas.  Layers of sand form smooth low hills.  Coral grows along the right side.  We are looking at the sea as Ken sees it through his mask but Matthew Forsythe also shows the top of his head and snorkel tip above water.  It's perfect.


In words and artwork The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding The World's Coral Reefs: The Story Of Ken Nedimyer And The Coral Restoration Foundation written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Matthew Forsythe brings to readers not only the importance of our coral reefs but the significance of a single individual working with intention.  His commitment and accomplishments serve to inspire others.  At the close of the book Kate has included sections titled

What Happened To The Coral Reefs
How Can Kids Help
Read More
Explore Online (Organizations and Articles) and
Coral Reef Vocabulary.

I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional bookshelves.  In addition to the books listed by Kate, I would recommend Science Comics Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean written and illustrated by Maris Wicks for slightly older readers.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Both Kate and Matthew maintain accounts on Twitter. Kate can be found on Facebook.  Matthew can be found on Instagram and Tumblr.


Please be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to note the titles selected this week by those participating in the 2018 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.

Field Trip Friendship

Wouldn't it be great to imagine every day as if it is a field trip? You wake up knowing something new and exciting is going to happen.  To explore a place you've never visited offers endless opportunities.  Experiencing this adventure with friends or even alone creates unforgettable moments.  Learning something unusual about our world increases our respect and admiration for those very things.

As a cherished class pet, the days during the school year are likely brimming with routine but also shrouded in an air of expectancy.  In the first book in her new early reader series, Fergus And Zeke (Candlewick Press, June 13, 2017) author Kate Messner acquaints us with a personable, lovable character (maybe two).  This mouse, Fergus, is no ordinary class pet.  His escapades are illustrated by artist Heather Ross.

FERGUS LOVED being the class pet in Miss Maxwell's room.  He loved everything about school, and he was good at following the class rules.

Whether it was storytime, a lesson in following directions or solving math problems, Fergus was a model student.  During music, the best part of the day as far as Fergus was concerned, he was so happy he danced his jazzy dance.  When Miss Maxwell told the students they would be going to the Museum of Natural History, he could hardly wait.  He wanted to see everything the students wanted to see.  The day was finally here.

To Fergus's disappointment he could not go to the museum.  Not to be deterred Fergus found a way to go on the field trip.  Emma's backpack was the ideal method of transportation.  The next problem our fearless mouse faced was he needed a buddy.  The one he discovered in Emma's backpack was not very mobile.  Suddenly a voice spoke in the cloakroom.

A friendly mouse named Zeke lived in the museum.  He would be Fergus's buddy and tour guide.  Pitted space rocks, the fluttering butterflies in their house, the massive blue whale and frightening reptile room were on the duo's agenda.  The exhibit filled with ferocious lions and large elephants was better than any other playground but the best part was the towering Tyrannosaurus rex.  From the height of its mouth Fergus could see everywhere and everyone.  Gasp!  Miss Maxwell's class was leaving...without him!

To say Fergus panicked was an understatement.  The twosome raced past all the visited rooms but a shortcut revealed the most spectacular sight of all.  There were questions. There were answers.  The biggest surprise of all was back at the classroom at the close of the day.  It was time for a jazzy dance.


Kate Messner is one of the most versatile writers in the world of children's literature.  Regardless of her intended audience, from picture books to middle grade novels, her dedication to meticulous research and reaching the hearts of her readers is obvious.  She speaks the language of relevance.

In this title her succinct sentences are a blend of narrative, thoughts and dialogue.  A technique of multiple perspectives draws us into the story.  Here is a sample passage.

Everyone was excited.  "I want to see the dinosaurs," said Emma.
"I want to see the butterfly garden," said Jake.
"I want to see the planetarium," said Lucy.  "I want to wish on a shooting star!"
Fergus wanted to see all those things, too.  What fun it would be to wish on a shooting star!  He couldn't wait for the big trip. 


Watching the two mice scamper across the matching dust jacket and book case front, wide-eyed and smiling, is sure to have readers doing the same thing.  Who wouldn't be happy walking among dinosaur bones?  To the left, on the back, the pals are seated looking in contentment at each other.  Their pink ears and purple and gray fur seems soft enough to touch.

On the opening and closing endpapers Heather Ross has placed a spring green background.  Upon this is a pattern of loose circles.  Within them are things to be seen at this museum.  Throughout the title Heather alternates between full page pictures, two page visuals, smaller pictures grouped together or images crossing the gutter beneath text.  To enhance the narrative she has added insets in different perspectives.  Under each of the chapter headings a single item represents events within those pages.

We get to see this visit through the eyes of the mice rather than the humans.  Adding to the sense of adventure are their expressions and body movements. The fun and the growing friendship are evident.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is of Fergus in the butterfly house.  A pale background mirroring a moist tropical atmosphere colors the canvas.  Bright green leaves reach in from the top and bottom framing Fergus.  Butterflies in beautiful hues fly above him.  His eyes are closed in pure bliss hoping one of them will land on him.  The entire scene is as if we are looking down on Fergus.


As soon as readers finish reading Fergus And Zeke written by Kate Messner with illustrations by Heather Ross, they will do one of two things.  They will immediately read it again and then they are sure to say, "When is the second book going to be available?"  The second book in the series, Fergus And Zeke At The Science Fair is being released sometime next year....I think.  Make sure you have multiple copies of this title available at home and at school.

To discover more about Kate Messner and Heather Ross and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  You will enjoy reading the story behind the story at Kate's website.  You can get a sneak peek at interior images and text at the publishers' websites here and here.

Water Wonders

Early Monday a sound was echoing over the fields and gravel pathway.  As a puppy Mulan was hearing it for the first time.  For me it was the sound of a new season coming once again.  The spring peepers were back.

Throughout the park are wetlands and ponds with the Grand River running along one of the boundaries.  Canadian geese use the river has a highway and a new mallard and hen have taken up residence in a pond.  Cardinals, blue jays, robins, pileated and downy woodpeckers, chickadees, and crows are frequent flyers throughout the area.  Deer, seven in number, keep their distance but stop and stare. A haunting cry draws our attention.  Looking upward we see two herons in flight.  Later a hawk circles looking for supper.

Water is essential to all life.  An abundance of life surrounds it and lives in it, even in a park close to a bustling suburban community of 24,000.  Over and Under the Pond (Chronicle Books, March 7, 2017) written by Kate Messner with art by Christopher Silas Neal is the third book in their collaborative series.  It invites us to journey into this marvelous domain.  (Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt are the first two titles.)

Over the pond we slide, splashing through lily pads, sweeping through reeds.

A mother and her son come to a stop on a pond.  He asks her what is below them. She replies:

"Under the pond is a whole hidden world of minnows and crayfish, turtles and bullfrogs.  ..."

Like the peaceful exhaling and inhaling of a living being as they move over the pond, we are privy to what they see on the surface and what moves beneath them.  Mother and son notice beetles scooting on the water as minnows do the same under their boat.  Of course the minnows need to be wary.  Hungry trout are ready to gobble them up.

Some creatures can sun themselves on a log and dive into the pond.  What are they?  Materials above and below the surface form homes for birds and larva.  Food is found around and in the pond by land and water dwellers; a moose munches and a beaver grabs.

New life above the pond is ready to take flight leaving the comfort of a nest.  Along the bottom of the pond tails turn into leaping limbs.  As the hours pass a bright sun is drifting downward, painting the sky with peaches and pinks.  Smooth, slow strokes with a paddle move a boat toward home and a restful evening as darkness dictates a new cadence for life in the watery world.


When you grow up and live in Michigan with parents and friends who enjoy the out-of-doors, you are likely to spend a great deal of time near or on the water.  After more hours than can be counted in a canoe, you are remarkably aware of the sensory perceptions experienced on the water.  Kate Messner depicts this with such clarity she transports you to the boat with the boy and his mother.

Her choice of words, splashing, sweeping, skim, loop, twirl, dart, rustle and shush, create scenes like the brush of a painter.  She easily moves us from the above to the below varying the length of the discussion to create a pace like a boat gliding over the water.  Sometimes one sentence for over the pond will be immediately followed by a sentence for under the pond.  Other times she will expand to two sentences followed by two sentences.  Then she will completely change it to multiple sentences followed by a single sentence.  Like life over and under the pond she shifts the cadence.  Here is a sample passage.

Over the pond, we lift and dip and pull past a row of painted turtles on a waterlogged tree.
        One-two-three-
they slip off and away-
splash-gurgle-sploosh!-under the pond.


When you first look at the opened, matching dust jacket and book case for this title you are soothed by the scene you see.  You can easily imagine holding your breath and swimming along the bottom of the pond over the sand and pebbles and through the grasses and reeds.  In your mind's eye the boat grows, but not too much, so you can carefully but still cozily, join the mother and son.  I don't know about you but I can feel the whisper of a breeze, hear the call of birds and gentle splashes as animals move over and under the pond.

Christopher Silas Neal's color palette of cool and calm hues, subdued but natural, are a perfect selection for this narrative.  On the opening and closing endpapers he has created a pattern of rows of silvery minnows.  The verso and title pages are a close-up of lilies and lily pads, a dragonfly and frog.

Nearly all of the images, rendered in mixed-media span two pages.  Neal repeatedly alters his perspective, giving us a panoramic view or zooms in.  We may see the world as passengers in a boat or as a turtle looking up at the boat from underneath the water.  Careful readers will observe the passage of time portrayed by the shades of the sky before the text draws our attention to the day's end.

One of my many favorite pictures is near the beginning of the book.  It's a close-up of the boy and his mother in the boat.  Their backs are to us as they look over the side of the boat.  Reeds and lily pads frame the water on the left and right.  You can see the shadow of a fish swimming.  The reflections of the people shimmer in front of them.  There is something extremely natural and personal about this moment in time.  It's about connections; mother to son, people to nature and us to both the people and nature.


If you want to feel the calm of spending a day on a pond, gliding over the water leisurely in a boat, quietly watching the animals and realizing how linked we are to one another, Over and Under the Pond written by Kate Messner with pictures by Christopher Silas Neal is a book for you.  It's a tribute to an ecosystem and a call to honor and protect it.  At the close of the book Kate Messner includes an author's note and small paragraphs about eighteen animals.  She supplies us with further reading choices and websites.

To learn more about Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Christopher Silas Neal maintains a Tumblr account. Kate Messner has created a Pinterest board for this book.

UPDATE:  There is an author and an illustrator interview about this book at Elizabeth Dulemba's website, March 23, 2017.