The stunning cover design is evidence that this will be an extraordinary retelling of a Hans Christian Anderson classic. From page one, that assumption is confirmed as Xanthe Gresham Knight introduces the tale in magnificent storytelling fashion.

Knight builds on Anderson's story:  editing, embellishing, and refining the original to create an interpretation that is familiar, yet fresh and new.  Gastaut's stunning illustrations defy any specific style, combing Art Nouveau with elements of Northern European and Middle Eastern art. This version of an Anderson tale is destined to become a new classic.

Take a look at  three picture books. Each is a little gem filled with creative storytelling, endearing characters, and inventive design. Deborah Marcero is the author of two and the illustrator for all three. And here’s the amazing thing: all have been published within the past eighteen months. That's one prolific artist! Let’s take a peek inside these enticing covers.

​We hurried off to the library and a room jam-packed with youngsters. Ben is not only an incredible artist, creating amazing stories with both words and images, he is also a talented performer. He wowed the audience with some impressive juggling and acrobatic skills. Sadly, the library director vetoed Hatke's offer to breathe fire. Nonetheless, his presentation was a showstopper. Then Ben graciously sat and signed books, personalizing each with a brief sketch.
When we finally finished up at the library all agreed that this was one author visit that no one would ever forget.

I had a few questions after reading Love, Ish. Author Karen Rivers graciously took the time to provide answers. Thanks Karen.

Title
This title is brilliant! How did it come about?  Was the title part of your original idea, did it evolve as you wrote, or was it decided after you completed the manuscript?
The title was part of the original idea.  I knew the character would be Mischa, nicknamed “Ish”, and that the book was going to be about Mars and about how she learns about love.   It’s such a great tween/teen suffix.  They don’t have to feel love, the can feel love-ish.   So it was both a play on words, and obviously, her name.  

Dreams
They are such an important part of the story. I have never been much of a dreamer, but while reading this book I had one of the most vivid dreams that I can recall experiencing. It was about a deceased family member.  Do you dream? If so, do your dreams figure into your writing?
I definitely dream although I’m not sure my dreams figure into my writing very much.  The dreaming part of this book was inspired by a TV show that I saw many years ago.  It was either a medical drama or a legal drama, and it was about a woman whose reality was sub-par.  I can’t remember what the circumstances were, exactly, but I remember that she was lonely and depressed.  But at night, when she fell asleep, she entered an alternate reality.  Her dreams flowed like a continuous story in which she was happily married, kids, stability, joy.   (The plot of the episode was that she wanted to pay a doctor to KEEP her asleep so she could exist in this better, alternate reality.)  Technicalities aside, I was fascinated by this idea of realistic, somewhat continuous dreams.  In the show, I believe they were trying to answer the question:  If you perceive something as being “real”, does it matter if it is or not?   Which became part of the question in LOVE, ISH.  In dreams, if we’re lucky, we can be anyone, we can do things that are outside of the confines of reality, we can fly.

Chemo
Chemotherapy touches many lives, both those undergoing treatment and those close to the individual receiving treatment. Your descriptions of chemo are so painful, poignant, and true-to-life. The rawness was hard for me to read. How did you prepare for writing the chemo sequences?
Quite a long time ago, my son underwent some tests for what doctors thought that might be a heart defect.  (It wasn’t.) For one of those tests, we had to wait in a shared waiting room outside a pediatric chemo room.   I was struck by it, both the absolute normalcy of what was going on in there – video games abounded – and by the kids themselves.  I’ve had a few friends go through chemo (mostly as adults) and I knit their stories together with what I saw in the hospital that day to come up with Ish’s experience.   I hope that I got it right.  

Names
Buzz Aldrin. Brussels Sprout. Lunch Island. etc
The names in the story are intriguing. Do you maintain a list of interesting names/words for future stories or are the names that you use very specific to one particular story?
I SHOULD maintain a list, but instead I store things in my brain which become useful later.  For example, many years ago I was reading a book about Mars with my stepson, and we stumbled on the word Nirgal, meaning “Death Star” that was apparently (or according to this particular book) the Mayan word for Mars.   I didn’t know I was going to use it later, but it’s something that I always remembered.   The rest of the names were very specific to this story, I created them particularly for this book in the moment of writing it.  The parrot’s name made a few changes, but Buzz Aldrin is a terrific name for a parrot, don’t you think?  It fit the best.  Sometimes you have to try a few things on for size, but when it’s right, you feel it.

“Don’t touch me. No one touch me.”
What moments in your experience inspired you to include this pivotal scene?
Ah, this is a tough one to answer.  But without giving too much away, I think we’ve all experienced moments in our lives of such intense emotion that adding just one more feeling of any type –  even if it’s well-meaning and genuine sympathy – feels like it might break us into pieces.   When something happens that’s too much for us in the moment, we have to step away from ourselves before we can process kindness or compassion, or – even harder – someone else’s shock at what has happened.   Maybe it’s a bit like having to put on your own oxygen mask before you help someone else.  In that particular scene, Ish had to find her mask.  Everyone else needed something from her right away that she didn’t have available to give.  ​

Worcester Art Museum ​is currently celebrating the art and legacy of Emberley with KAHBAHBLOOOM: The Art and Storytelling of Ed Emberley. This comprehensive retrospective explores his work over the past sixty years and includes an area where visitors can create their own drawings using Emberley's techniques. The show runs through April 9, 2017.

Highlights from April Henry's visit to Four Bluff High School

Similarities between Little Robot and The Wild Robot are easy to find. Both begin with a robot sealed inside a shipping crate which accidentally falls into the water and eventually lands in a remote area. In this most unlikely setting, the robot escapes the packing crate, explores its surroundings and eventually begins to form relationships.
Both stories are testaments to the power of kindness and friendship. They poignantly illustrate that the capacity to care and make meaningful contributions to the wellbeing of others is limited only by one's willingness to try.
For me the similarity reaches beyond the books themselves and extends to authors Peter Brown and Ben Hatke. Each has consistently created an exceptional body of work which I deeply admire.

• ​The cover

​Isn't this a most brilliant way to introduce a well-known story? Just by examining the cover readers know that it features a very familiar character. The text superimposed on the oversized red hood gives it away. It is worth noting that the image makes the word "hood" superfluous.
But really, it's the eyes that demand attention. She is NOT looking at the reader. She is looking toward the book's interior. One might ask: What is she looking at? Why has she focused all of her attention on what is within the pages of the book?

• ​The design

The use of color is important. Ample white space and various shades of black and gray are punctuated by the standout red of our heroine. Obviously, red is going to be the main character and deserves our attention.
The lines are bold and the images are equally striking. The wolf dominates the space on any page in which he appears, often spanning the spread. He is a force to be reckoned with.
We learn of his schemes through an interesting visual device: we see the workings of his mind in the form of images inside his head, rather than a thought bubble. Captivating!

• The eyes

Little Red's eyes are one of the distinguishing visual features. Note that only on the end papers do we see a small version of her looking directly at the reader. Most of the time, Little Red's eyes shift to one side, and she peers at what seems to be awaiting her.
However, during her dialog with the wolf, the eyes change from a sideways glance and she looks up. This expression speaks volumes as to what she is actually thinking as she and the wolf exchange a series of questions and answers. It's not simply a verbal exchange. Her face reveals how she actually perceives his responses.

• The unexpected

Because this is a familiar tale and because the author uses many of the well-known tropes, the ending may come as a surprise and a fairly violent one at that. Careful story pacing builds to the story's climax. When rereading, readers find that Woollvin plants clues throughout the book which point to the story's conclusion. Discovering these textual and visual clues enhance anticipation for the unexpected outcome.

• The text

Three phrases are repeated throughout the pages and all play a critical part in the story:
"made a plan", "unlucky for", and "but not this little girl". Youngsters will enjoy chanting aloud these phrases, especially "but not this little girl". This increases reader involvement and enhances the story experience.

Lucky for young readers everywhere, this book is no ordinary retelling. The author's approach is fresh, witty, and wildly entertaining. She obviously made a plan.