The Unexpected

Have you ever come across a book that tickles your funny bone, gives you pause, or teaches you about life in an unexpected way? Four recent library picks did this for me. Check out these gems!


Stories from Bug Garden
By Lisa Moser
Illustrated by Gwen Millward
Candlewick Press, 2016

I love the format of this book. It is the story of an abandoned garden and its quirky inhabitants, told through poems that build on each other, growing the story.



The Ladybug is my favorite. She doesn't want to act like a lady:

"But when no one was looking,
Ladybug ran barefoot,
made mud angels,
and whistled through a blade of grass."


Wabi Sabi
By Mark Reibstein
Illustrated by Ed Young
Little, Brown and Company, 2008

This book also has a unique format, but in a completely different way. Inspired by Japanese writing, this picture book is designed to be read vertically. Each page has three layers: the narrative, a haiku that gets at the heart of the page, and a traditional haiku written in Japanese characters and translated at the end of the book. Ed Young's beautiful illustrations teach the reader as much about Wabi Sabi as the story.



Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova
By Laurel Snyder
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Chronicle Books, 2015

In this gorgeous biography, Snyder uses a sparse, lyrical text to convey the passion that Anna Pavlova had for dance and for sharing her art with the world: The world is a hungry place, and Anna will feed it beauty." Dance - the perfect metaphor for life.

Rhyming Dust Bunnies
By Jan Thomas
Beach Lane Books, 2009

In vibrant colors that pop off the page, Jan Thomas makes you love dust bunnies. Ed, Ned, and Ted delight in rhyme, but Bob is preoccupied by a looming danger. Pull the child in your life onto your lap and prepare to laugh at the ridiculous antics of the Rhyming Dust Bunnies.

Happy New Year!

2015 was a good writing year. While I didn't get an agent or a book deal, I did succeed by submitting more than ever, keeping to my writing schedule of 45 min./day, 5 days/wk. (since Nov. 2014!), and getting three favorites during Twitter Pitch parties which allowed me to submit requested manuscripts to agents.

Rate Your Story was a fun membership to have this year. It gave me some helpful feedback on manuscripts I felt were submission-ready. Registration is open until Jan. 15. Check it out HERE.

My interests and goals for 2016 continue to include pursuing my dream of having a picture book published, but I would also like to learn more about getting a Book App developed and to think about how to revamp my blog, so stay tuned for updates!

May your 2016 be filled with love, laughter, 

and fabulous picture books!

Spooks in Books for Halloween

October is here! Crisp air, crunchy leaves, and that witch next door that has flown into a tree. Ouch!

Click to build your own!

Here are some picture books with spooky themes and not-so-spooky storylines.

IT'S RAINING BATS AND FROGS

Written by Rebecca Colby

Illustrated by Steven Henry

Published by Feiwel and Friends, 2015

What is the enemy of a parade? Rain, of course. And for the Witch Parade, it is no different. Filled with apt idioms and clever rhymes, a Halloween parade gets more and more chaotic as rain becomes "cats and dogs", then "hats and clogs", and "bats and frogs." Next time it's raining on your parade, be glad there are no witches nearby trying to help.

LEO: A GHOST STORY
Written by Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Published by Chronicle Books, 2015

The opening spread shows an empty room with the accompanying text: "This is Leo. Most people cannot see him."

I love this! What a hook. Leo is a ghost-child who lives alone in a house, until a family moves in. Unfortunately, his friendly intentions cause the family to conclude that the house is haunted and they try to get rid of him. Leo's subsequent story is one of finding friendship and acceptance. A story not so different from ours, really.

THE LITTLE BIT SCARY PEOPLE
Written by Emily Jenkins
Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger
Published by Hyperion Books for Children, 2008

While not specifically a Halloween book, THE LITTLE BIT SCARY PEOPLE draws on the idea that the unknown is scary. It takes a closer look at those who are different or grumpy or mean. The narrator imagines a place where each of the scary people are happy or loving or creative. It is a lovely medium for teaching empathy and putting yourself in someone else's shoes.

Laugh-Out-Loud Funny: Part 3

Anthropomorphic animals are nothing new to picture books. But animals that shoot documentaries, sing in the opera, and wear underwear? The picture book tradition is getting wider in scope as it embraces quirky humor, books that engage the reader directly, and turn concept books on their heads. Check out these new favorites:

This is a Moose
Author: Richard T. Morris
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld

A director is set on filming an authentic moose documentary. The only problem is that the moose has other plans. The eye-popping illustrations combined with the outrageous (and director-infuriating) storyline creates a still-frame cinematic experience.  There's even a glossary with job descriptions for all that happens behind-the-scenes on a film shoot.

The Bear's Song
Author/Illustrator: Benjamin Chaud

Papa Bear goes on a journey to find Little Bear, who is "too caught up in honey thoughts to hear winter's whisper." Isn't that lovely? Super-detailed illustrations draw the reader in. Can you find Little Bear on each page? For us, the laugh-out-loud part came when Papa Bear finds himself on the opera stage and decides to sing  "a lullaby that all bears love."

Backstage at the Opera

One Big Pair of Underwear
Author: Laura Gehl
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld

This is a counting book. An unconventional counting book. It's also about sharing. But all a preschooler wants to know is why are there two bears in a pair of underwear? And why is the underwear so BIG? There's never enough to go around in this book, so someone is always feeling like they got the short end of the stick... Until a group of pigs decide to go "Piggyback!" so they can all play. Cleverly written, this more-than-a-concept book also tickles the funny bone.

You may have noticed that Tom Lichtenheld is the illustrator of this book and This is a Moose. Check out his website for some great resources and a listing of his fabulous books.

Laugh-Out-Loud Funny: Part 2 (Chicken Books!)

I'm not sure why chickens frequently make their way into picture books. Maybe their status as farm animals makes them accessible to the youngest book lovers. I'm not sure why chickens are inherently funny. Maybe it all flows from the chicken crossing the road joke. Regardless, children's chicken books are often hysterical. Here are two that had my boys laughing out loud this month.

Chicken Big 

by author/illustrator Keith Graves

Opening: "On a teeny little farm, in an itty-bitty coop, a very small hen laid a big, humongous egg." 

Talk about a juxtaposition! The illustrations of a huge chick combine with bird-brained dialogue to create a very silly situation. The smallest chick's contributions are especially funny. ("She was not the sharpest beak in the flock.") As the title suggests, the plot also draws on the story of "Chicken Little", stirring up a flurry of crises that the humongous chick diverts while the chickens all try to identify him: "Apparently, he is an umbrella!" Will the chick's heroic actions at the end finally gain him some acceptance?

Interrupting Chicken 

by author/illustrator David Ezra Stein

Told mostly in dialogue, parents will recognize the theme of this silly bedtime story. One of my boys is an "interrupting chicken", so this hit home for me and was definitely laugh-out-loud funny. Not only does Chicken interrupt the bedtime stories, but her interruptions also end the stories by nipping the problem in the bud. When Chicken heard the part where Little Red Riding Hood met a wolf in the woods, she interrupts, "Out jumped a little red chicken, and she said, 'Don't talk to strangers!' So Little Red Riding Hood didn't. The end!" As a writer, I find that Chicken highlights the need for a story arc with tension in order to create a satisfying experience for the reader. David Ezra Stein certainly does this with his clever book.

Laugh-Out-Loud Funny: Part 1

Wow, it's been over a year since I published a post. Sorry to all my loyal fans, but I had to set the blog aside so that I actually had time to WRITE! I've felt encouraged to get back to blogging, but I'm not going to do it on a schedule. I'll add books when they inspire ideas, mentor my writing, or display emotional truths that move me.

To reboot our journey down picture book lane, I'd like to focus on humorous stories. Laugh-out-loud funny books. Tales that literally had my boys guffawing. They begged for these books to be re-read and they got funnier every time.

I have a nine-book high pile of rib-ticklers, so this post will be in many parts. Enjoy!

1. STUCK by Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers is a master storyteller. He took a common expression and built a literal tale around it. Every page is more outrageous than the last and there are surprises at every turn. 

2. THIS ORQ. (he cave boy.) by David Elliott; illustrated by Lori Nichols

Orq has a pet. His mother does not approve. Sound familiar? David Elliott and Lori Nichols breathe fresh life into this evergreen theme by taking a step back in time. The unique voice doesn't hurt either. Check out this opening:
This Woma.
Woma woolly mammoth.
Orq love Woma.

Here's the page that had my boys doubled over with laughter:

PPBF: Moonshot

Title: Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
Author/Illustrator: Brian Floca
Publisher/Date: Atheneum Books for Young Readers/2009
Genre/Audience: nonfiction/Ages 4-10
Themes: space exploration, moon, Apollo 11

Opening: "High above there is the Moon, cold and quiet, no air, no life, but glowing in the sky."

Synopsis: (from School Library Journal)

"Large in trim size as well as topic, this stirring account retraces Apollo 11's historic mission in brief but precise detail, and also brilliantly captures the mighty scope and drama of the achievement. Rendered in delicate lines and subtly modulated watercolors, the eye-filling illustrations allow viewers to follow the three astronauts as they lumber aboard their spacecraft for the blastoff and ensuing weeklong journey ("…there's no fresh air outside the window;/after a week this small home will not smell so good./This is not why anyone/wants to be an astronaut"). They split up so that two can make their famous sortie, and then reunite for the return to "the good and lonely Earth,/glowing in the sky." Floca enhances his brief, poetic main text with an opening spread that illustrates each component of Apollo 11, and a lucid closing summary of the entire Apollo program that, among other enlightening facts, includes a comment from Neil Armstrong about what he said versus what he meant to say when he stepped onto the lunar surface."

Why I Love This Book: 
After reading the Caldecott winning Locomotive, I had to get some of Floca's other books. Moonshot is enthralling. Floca combines lyrical storytelling with gorgeous illustrations. This book has a wide audience, appealing to those with an interest in space, astronomy, and U.S. history, but most importantly, to those who are not yet interested in those topics. I challenge you not be drawn in by this book.

Resources:

Field Trip: If you are local and looking for exhibits of spacecraft, the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center, near Dulles International Airport, houses many models, prototypes, and gear, including the Space Shuttle Discovery.

NASA Missions Page on Apollo 11

"Field Trip to the Moon" Educators Guide - Grades 5-8

Virtual Field Trip to the Moon

Craving more Perfect Picture Books? Author Susanna Leonard Hill compiles weekly book reviews from bloggers at www.susannahill.blogspot.com. Visit Fridays or click the Perfect Picture Books tab at her website for a subject listing.