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READING STYLE GUIDE

Girl's Best Friend

4/22/2021

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Pawcasso by Remy Lai

The Chihuahua-sized fib that grew into a Great Dane lie.
From the imagination of Lai comes Pawcasso, a graphic novel about a dog, art, and honesty. 
​Hoping to escape the confines of a large family, Joanna Lin steps outdoors and discovers a most unusual sight. A basket-bearing dog is heading into town. Intrigued, Jo follows.
​She learns that this pup is on a mission. The basket contains a list of items that the dog is expected to procure from local businesses.  
​Things get complicated when the dog enters Dog Ears, the local book shop. Jo discovers an kid's art class is in session. Young students are thrilled with the appearance of a friendly pup. This is a much more exciting model that an inert pear. They assume that Jo is the dog's owner and ask permission to sketch, paint, and sculpt the canine.
When the shop offers free books in exchange for using the dog as a model, Jo pretends to be the owner and agrees to the terms. In honor of their interest in art, the kids name their remarkable model Pawcasso.
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Then Jo learns that the art workshop will continue for five more weeks and culminate in a special art show. She worries. Who is the dog’s owner and where does it live? How can she get the dog to come to Dog Ears with her every week? ​
To make matters worse, neighbors are concerned that a dog is wandering through town without a leash. The city is divided into two camps: those supporting strict enforcement of leash laws and those that want to make an exception for this endearing animal. Finally, Jo meet's Picasso's owners and confesses her deception. With a little help, Jo brings the opposing factions together to solve the leash law dilemma. She also heals a rift in a neighbor’s family and comes to terms with her father’s work-related absence. Bonus: There is ice cream for everyone!
A surefire hit for fans of mysteries, poop jokes, adorable dogs, and happy endings.
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Lai packs her graphic novel with plenty of goodies.
  • Inventive word play: Pawcasso (canine version of the artist Picasso) Dog Ears (bookstore), Drippy Cone (ice cream shop) and Dippy (short for serendipity)
  • Contemporary artists Picasso and Marcel Duchamp
  • An ice cream recipe that is suitable for dogs and "hoomans”
Electronic copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: May 11, 2021  Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks ISBN:  978-1250774491
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Clay and Creation

4/1/2021

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Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra

“The Great Spirit gave me (hands) that work...but not for myself, but for all my Tewa people.”
Maria Povika Martinez created distinctive pottery that is highly prized by collectors. Her great granddaughter Barbara Gonzales and art educator Anna Harbor Freeman collaborated to tell her story with a picture book for young readers.
Maria lived in San Idlefonso Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico where clay was an abundant resource. As a girl, she was fascinated with the process of creating pottery. When her early efforts were not successful, she turned to ko-kōo Nicolasa to teach her. Her aunt used Tewa traditional methods: combining clay with water and volcanic ash, rolling the mixture into coils, then building the pot’s walls and firing the vessels for hours in a pottery fire. Each step was accompanied by special prayers.
While still a young woman, Maria married and became a mother but never gave up her work as a potter. 
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Her earthenware came to the attention of an archaeologist who presented her with a fragment of black pottery. Maria was intrigued. She and her husband Julian experimented and discovered a process for making shiny black pots. Blackware fashioned by Maria and her family became a valuable collector's item.
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In addition to describing pottery making, the narrative emphasizes culture, traditions, and religious practices of the Tewa. The authors use several Native terms which can be understood by using the illustrations and context clues for support. Aphelandra’s color palette of deep reds blending into rich golds and rising to a turquoise sky serves as a backdrop for Blackware. It is interesting to note that over time Maria's simple style of dress remains constant.
Shaped By Her Hands is a moving tribute to a great grandmother and her Native traditions. Excellent introduction to the technique of creating ceramics.
Back matter includes additional information on Maria Povika Martinez, Tewa People, San Idlefonso Pueblo, Authors Notes, and Selected Resources.
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Blackware began as a joint enterprise for Maria and Julian. He is credited with painting many of the pot’s intricate designs.  Currently, six generations of Maria and Julian’s descendants continue her legacy.

​​Maria's Blackware is considered fine art. Her signed pieces are worth thousands. She was awarded several honorary degrees and  invited to the White House. She and her husband demonstrated pottery making in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Her work can be viewed online.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUGm87DE0k
​http://indianartsandculture.org/exhibits/maria/index.html
https://kinggalleries.com/brand/martinez-maria/
​
​
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 1, 2021  Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company  ISBN:  978-0807575994
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Wishes and Waves

2/4/2021

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The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey

Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey, the team of brothers who celebrated the life of a well-used pickup truck are back with another picture book. The Old Boat chronicles the life of a small boat, a family, an island, and the ocean.
A young boy and his grandmother set out on a fishing expedition. Their time together on the water is filled a sense of awe at the expanse of water and myriad sea life. It’s an ode to the mesmerizing mystical quality of the ocean.
"waves and wishes, wants and wonders"
Time passes. The boy has grown. The pristine waters of childhood have become an underwater junkyard, filled with dirt and debris. A violent storm smashes the old boat and washes the vessel and it’s captain ashore. He surveys the seascape and knows that it is time to return the ocean to its former state.
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While text is limited, poetic language and the accompanying illustrations convey an eloquent storyline. Aquatic plant and animal shapes are repeated across each two-page spread. Artful graphic design with a muted primary-colored palette hint at the passage of time. Attention to detail is evident. Watch the changes in the young man and his world as the tale progresses.
There is so much to see and experience here. The book is replete with themes: tides, time, renewal. One of the fascinating aspects of this book is the study of the effects of time, both positively and negatively. Time takes its toll on the boat. It slowly deteriorates. ​In the intervening years the effects of pollution take a toll on the condition of the seashore.
The boat rides the tide. It is the undertow and current that determine the boat's fate.
​​A new sailor turns the tide: People act, reversing the gradual destruction of coastal life. With time and effort the beaches and ocean return to the abundant aquatic life it once nurtured.
The Old Boat tells a tale of generations. This is not a "once and done" book. Each reading reveals more little gems.
Electronic copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: March 2, 2021  Publisher: Norton Young Readers  ISBN: 978-1324005179
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Wonders and Delights

12/16/2020

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Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson ill by Sharon King-Chai

Looking for a picture book for gift-giving? Consider Counting Creatures. This more-than-a-picture book is an explosion of tactile wonders and visual delights. Presented as a counting book featuring various animal species and their young, it begins with one baby bat and sequentially progresses to ten piglets before leapfrogging to multitudes of caterpillars, tadpoles, and spiders.
This interactive volume invites young readers to predict what will be underneath the next flap. How many babies? What word is used to describe them?
​Many terms are familiar, but the young of some species are not well-known. A baby arctic hare is known as a leveret while baby turkeys are called poults.
Rhyming couplets and the repetitive line of text "Who has more babies than that? " make this an excellent book for sharing and reading aloud.
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​Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Sharon King-Chai has a wow factor to the max.
The generous size (approximately 8x10.5 inches) features a die cut cover with foil accents. Cut outs continue throughout the book, giving readers a hint as to the animals to be revealed. ​Art is stunning. Deep rich colors, gorgeously textured shapes, ingeniously designed flaps and tiny details sprinkled throughout the pages will send readers back the beginning to discover the answer to one final question.
C​opy provided by publisher.
Pub date: November 24, 2020  Publisher: Dial Books  ISBN: 978-0593324530
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Quiet Protest

12/10/2020

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Lubaya’s Quiet Roar by Marilyn Nelson ill by Philemona Williamson

Lubaya is a quiet child, a solemn thoughtful child. While people around her instinctively interact with others, she prefers to silently listen and observe. She often finds herself tucked away with paper and colors. Art is her favorite means of self expression.
(she) "liked to be alone, happily watching the theater of her thoughts." Lubaya's Quiet Roar
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Lubaya’s parents are activists. Their home is filled with posters used during a recent protest march. This quiet girl discovers that the plain backs of posters are an excellent surface for her drawings: friends dressed in pretty party clothes, children on ladders painting a rainbow, even a hip-hop frog! Her art often includes phrases that her family members say when discussing social issues.
When a another cause for protest arises, the family proudly displays the poster backs featuring Lubaya's art. Her drawings beautifully illustrate the movement’s issues, adding an additional way to look at important concerns.
Nelson's poetic language precisely captures Lubaya's personality. Her verses speak in general terms of the need for socially-conscious activism. Illustrations flesh out a few specific social issues at stake. The words "Freedom Now" and "Clean Water" can be seen on two of Lubaya's posters. Williamson's signature style featuring vivid shapes on solid color backgrounds is distinctly different from Lubaya's drawings rendered on white rectangles.
Readers learn that in Swahili Lubaya means “young lionesses.” Using her unique skills, a young girl is able to make her voice heard. Not every contribution to a cause can be uttered. However, each individual can find a way to contribute and be heard.
"a quiet voice can make history"
Copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: October 6, 2020  Publisher: Dial Books  ISBN: 978-0525555551
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Digital Woodcutting 

10/16/2020

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A B C Animals by Christopher Evans

Just when you thought that every possible approach for animal alphabet books has been published, along comes ABC Animals. Christopher Evans’ oversized concept book sets a new standard for elegant graphic design in children's picture books.
A two-page spread is devoted to each of the twenty-six featured animals. The left-hand page displays the animal name, inital alphabet letter using three different fonts (one with textures), and a soft beige silhouette.
However, the showstopper is the facing page: an enlarged close-up of the featured animal rendered as a digital woodcut. These are not photographs produced using special effects.
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Using a technique similar to engraving, Evans creates exquisitely textured body coverings. From the prickly hedgehog to the gelatinous nautilus, the iguana scales to vulture’s multiple types of feathers, the variety and beauty of the animal kingdom is awe-inspiring. 
Back flap copy describes the artist’s process. Images are hand drawn with illustration software to create digital woodcuts, also referred to as modern-day engravings. “They are somewhere between an impressionist painting and a mechanical drawing.”
Readers of all ages will pore over the images, making new discoveries with each observation. Every page is a work of art worthy of framing. What a glorious tribute to the wonders of the animal kingdom and innovative artistic expression. Stunning!
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: October 15, 2020 Publisher: Peter Pauper Press ISBN: 978-1-4413-3463-3
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Art and Nature

8/19/2020

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Beatrix Potter, Scientist (She Made History)
​by Lindsay H. Metcalf ill by Junyi Wu

The connection between art and science is symbiotic. Scientists record observations with accurate representations of phenomena. Artists rely on a careful study of anatomy and physiology to inform their art.
It is no surprise that artist Beatrix Potter studied her surroundings and recorded her findings with precision. What is remarkable is that her published books are not scientific treatises, but instead are delightful fantasies.
Metcalf gives young readers fresh insight into the life of the author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Each summer Beatrix’s family would travel to Scotland. It was there that the young girl met Charles McIntosh , the postman who encouraged her study of life forms. She was a dedicated researcher, making meticulous drawings, examining small animal skeletons, and preparing slides for microscopic observation.
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Potter's specific field of study was fungi: the study of mushroom spores. She made a breakthrough discovery on the germination of these spores and prepared a paper for the Linnean Society of London. She could not present her paper in person, as women were not allowed to join this scientific society. She withdrew her paper from consideration after the society said her findings needed more work. Shortly afterward, she discontinued her fungi research. History does not explain her abandonment of nature studies. A century later the Linnean Society apologized for the treatment of Beatrix Potter and other women.​
Metcalf enhances this picture book with backmatter that includes "More About Beatrix Potter," a Timeline, Bibliography, Source Notes, and suggestions for Further Reading. Wu's soft colored pencil illustrations honor both the wonders of nature and storytelling. Her style does not attempt to imitate the precision of Potter's studies. Her illustrations focus on Beatrix and her joy of discovery.
Beatrix Potter, Scientist explores the value of close observation in the fields of both science and art and speaks to the work of women in science. Add to biography and STEM collections.

More Women Who Changed Our World

She Made History: Women Who Changed Our World is an ongoing picture book series celebrating the contributions of women. In addition to well-known historical figures such as Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, Phillis Wheatley, and Susan B. Anthony, the series introduces young readers to other women who have been change agents. Alice Coachman the first African American woman to earn an Olympic gold medal, Kathryn Johnston the first girl to play Little League baseball, and astronomer Nancy Grace Roman who led the NASA team which built the Hubble Space Telescope are some of the featured woman who have made history.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: September 1, 2020 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807551752
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Runaway Art

7/28/2020

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Doodleville by Chad Sell

Drew loves to draw. Pencil in hand, she has created her own collection of doodles, an assortment of charming and often mischievous characters who dwell in her imaginary world.
Drew shares her passion for drawing with other students in the school’s Art Club. Their advisor plans a field trip to the local art museum. This expedition will serve as inspiration for an upcoming project: create a superhero world.
There is one complication. Drew has discovered that her doodles can escape the pages of her sketchbook and travel into the “real world.” At the museum, her creations Jump off the paper and wildly explore the art displays, absconding with a hat featured in one of the paintings.
Although Drew manages to collect all her runaway doodles plus an additional purloined hat, it is apparent that her creations are out of control. They begin to inhabit the drawings of her fellow students, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
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Her solution to is to create a large doodle. A much larger doodle. She names this gigantic serpentine monster Levi, an abbreviated version of Leviathan. The monster lives up to its name, causing havoc and destroying the work of her friends. It is unstoppable. Drew is wracked with guilt.” It’s all my fault.” she sobs. ​Her friends rally to her defense and devise a plan to link the powers of all their superheroes together to defeat Levi.
Drew’s father helps her understand that her creations are a part of her and that the Leviathan is an extension of the darkness that she sometimes feels. Once she acknowledges the duality of emotions she possesses, Drew is empowered to formulate a plan of action that benefits her fellow artists, the doodles, and even Levi. This leads to an inventive and satisfying conclusion.
Sell’s art cleverly delineates the black and white one-dimensional world of Doodleville and Drew’s fully realized colorful world. The blending of the two worlds is masterful.
The final panels set the stage for further adventures in the Doodleverse, a series destined to fly off the shelves faster than Leviathan, Captain Cockatoo, or the Magical Butterfly Boyfriends can travel.
This fantastical comic envisions a world where art comes to life and imagines the positive as well as negative implications of such a world. It features a tightly knit, yet diverse group of young students who unite to solve a problem, forgive one another’s mistakes, and celebrate their collective successes. And did I mention the donuts? Yes. There are donuts.

Bonus

Download Doodleville coloring pages and create a Doodleville World of your own. Find more information here.
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Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 9, 2020 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers ISBN: 978-1984894717
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What About Me?

6/16/2020

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All the Birds in the World by David Opie

“But what about me?” asked Kiwi.
Diversity is a phenomenon found and celebrated throughout nature. All the Birds in the World explores the remarkable variety found within the avian species.
An adorable little kiwi narrates this informative picture book highlighting a vast assortment of birds living in all parts of the globe. The narrative begins with a list of characteristics common to all members of this class of warm-blooded vertebrates: feathers, wings, and beaks.
Successive pages illustrate remarkable individuality. Birds  are different with respect to size, shape, coloration, and behaviors.  They can be found in a range of climates and habitats. 
Kiwi, a native to New Zealand bird, compares itself with others of the species and asks, "But what about me?"
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Kiwi is pleased that a stubby critter who cannot sing, has no tail, does not fly, lives underground, and has whiskers is nonetheless a bird and proudly proclaims that "Even me" is a member of this feathered family.
Opie's exquisitely detailed paintings showcase a dazzling array of winged wonders.  Two-page spreads of birds in motion (flying, swimming, and singing or calling) invite careful examination. There are also closeups of eggs, feet, and beaks. The artist notes that some bird images are "not necessarily to scale."
Back matter includes A Note from the Author, additional Kiwi information, and splendid annotated reproductions of the book's pages that identify most of the birds featured throughout the volume.
A delightful introduction to ornithology.
Copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: June 1, 2020  Publisher:  Peter Pauper Press   ISBN: 978-1441333292
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What's Your Favorite Food?

3/28/2020

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What's Your Favorite Food? by Eric Carle and Friends

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The picture book What's Your Favorite Food? features Eric Carle and selected children's book illustrators responding to a simple query. Each artist describes a favorite food with a brief paragraph accompanied by a two-page spread of eye-popping art.
The book is a cornucopia of flavors from around the world. Strawberry daifuku, paella, and pitaya fruit are interspersed with universal favorites such as cheese, berries, and salad. Find kid-friendly fare: French Fries, ice cream, and pizza. It is fun to explore this potpourri of scrumptious food choices.
The colorful mix of art styles are visually arresting with an appealing melánge of realistic images and bold graphic design. Food is celebrated with illustrations employing collage, printmaking, painting, and line drawing. A delicious introduction to a variety of artists.
Final pages include a description of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Royalties from the purchase of this book are donated to this nonprofit organization which promotes the art of the picture book. A brief biographical note accompanied by a childhood photo of each artist adds a personal touch.
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Let Them Eat Cake

Cake. We wanted cake. Today a chocolate cake would be especially nice. However, due to the current world situation, ingredients are in very limited supply. What to do? Then I remembered collage days and my roommate Delena. She had a good recipe for chocolate cake made without eggs, butter, or milk.  Cake is on the menu, thanks to Delena.
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Let's Get Baking

Delena's Chocolate Cake
Sift together:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 Tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
​1 teaspoon salt
Add:
2 teaspoons vinegar
3/4 vegetable oil
2 cups cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix liquid ingredients with sifted dry ingredients. Pour into greased and floured 9" x 13" pan.
​Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. 
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When butter and eggs are plentiful, this scrumptious cake is my go-to chocolate sheet cake. Gooey, chocolaty goodness. The batter fills an oversize sheet pan. At my house we consume a lot of this cake, so the size is just right. The chopped pecans on top are the crowning touch.
​Find the recipe here.

What's Your Favorite?

Introducing three additional titles in the What's Your Favorite? picture book series. Discover more about the world and meet many talented artists in this colorful picture book series.
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​Copy provided by publisher
​Pub date: July 23, 2019  Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)   ISBN: 978-1250295149
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    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
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    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
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