from tom palumbo's photostream

Ah, yes. The life of a writer -- full of glamour, adoring fans, relaxing sojourns on the French Riviera.

Recently, I've been thinking --
 
how certain authors have become celebrities,

how much burden is placed upon the writer to promote, publicize, and sell himself to the masses,

how some avid readers have turned into groupies,

and that I need to develop substantial cleavage, so I can have these two gentlemen sign me:


Don't you love how Coop furrows his brows? (photo by psychKate)


There's just something about a British accent (especially Neil Gaiman's).
(photo by spinnerin)

Puzzled? Read this poem by James Tate. It made me laugh, think, and ask myself, yet again, the all important question: Why do I really write?

THE BOOKSIGNING
by James Tate



An ad in the newspaper said that a local author
would be signing his new book at the bookstore today.
I didn't even know we had any local authors. I was
going to be downtown anyway, so I decided to drop in
and see what he looked like. He was short and fat
and ugly, but all kinds of beautiful women were flirting
with him and laughing at every little joke he made.
Even though I didn't know anything about his book, I
wished I had written it. A man came up to me and said,
"I hated it when the little girl died. I just couldn't
stop crying." "Thank God for the duck," I said. He
took a step back from me. "I don't remember the duck,"
he said. "Well, then, I'm afraid you missed the whole
point of the book. The duck is absolutely central,
it's the veritable linchpin of the whole denouement,"
I said. (I had learned that word in high school, and
now it served me well.) "But what about the little
girl?" the man asked, with a painful look of bewilder-
ment on his face. "She should have been shot a hundred
pages earlier," I said. "I don't think I like you,"
the man said, and walked away clutching his book.
I looked over at the author. He was signing a young
woman's cleavage, and the other women were laughing
and pulling open their blouses to be signed. I had
never even thought of writing a novel. Now, my mind
was thrashing about. The man I had offended earlier
walked up to me and offered me a glass of wine. "If
I may ask you, sir, why were you so rude to me?" he
said. I looked up from the abyss and said, "Because
I am nothing. Because I am a speck of dust floating
in infinite darkness. Because you have feelings and
you care. Do you understand me now?" "Perfectly,"
he said. "Cheers!"

~ from 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day, edited by Billy Collins (Random House, 2005).

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is being hosted by the lovely and talented Sara Lewis Holmes at Read*Write*Believe. I'm sure she will welcome you, with or without cleavage.

**Don't forget that midnight tonight (EST), is the deadline for entering my drawing to win one of three copies of Anna Alter's new picture book, Abigail Spells! Click here to read Anna's interview.

Oh, and Happy National Doughnut Day! 


photo by seq

Well, hello! Glad you could join us for lunch.

Today's Menu: Succulent Salad Trio

First, how about some healthy greens:


Next, a flavorful fusilli:


Finally, I hope you have room for this "Solid Potato Salad," compliments of the Ross Sisters (1944). It starts out like any campy musical number, but after a bit, it really cooks. Wear your bib, for when your jaw drops!

You have until midnight Friday (EST), June 5, 2009, to enter the Abigail Spells drawing! We're giving away three, count 'em, THREE copies of this sweet, warm and inspiring picture book all about friendship, spelling, and winning.

Just click over to my interview with Anna Alter, and spell your favorite word in the comments to enter!

teddy bear! maracas! cha cha cha!

        
       Marin and Debbie.

A really really cool thing happened recently.

See my great-niece, Marin, up there? She just turned six and received this lovable doll, "Debbie," for her birthday. But Debbie isn't just any doll. Debbie has a very interesting history. Here's the scoop:

A couple of years ago, Marin's mom started reading the Little House books to her. She loved the stories and was hooked instantly, listening intently every night along with her older brothers, Harrison and Logan. She was thrilled to receive her very own set of Little House books for Christmas, and has basically been wild about all things Laura Ingalls Wilder ever since, even dressing up like Laura with little black boots and wearing her hair in pigtails.

Marin also loves the TV series on DVD -- she, Harrison and Logan like to gather in the family room and cuddle under warm blankets while watching the show. Well, it just so happens that Marin's dad, Ian, knows Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, the identical twins who played the part of Carrie.


My guess: Sidney on the left, Lindsay on the right?

This is what Ian said about what happened next:

Marin was very impressed to know that I went to school with Carrie. Since watching the show, she'd really started to identify with the characters. In one episode, Marin saw a doll that Carrie was clinging to. She thought it was cute that Carrie was holding her dolly -- and playing with the doll in another episode. When I told her Sidney was sending a special surprise in the mail for her birthday, she couldn't wait. She asked daily when it would arrive.



When it did, she tore into it and was shocked to see two dolls. Sidney's doll, "Debbie," from the show, and a little "Carrie" doll that was brand new. She squealed with delight, and slept with the dolls near her.





Debbie now sits on the mantlepiece in the living room for now, until a more suitable home can be found to "preserve" her in, but Sidney placed an incredibly sweet inscription on the doll for Marin. It reads:

"To Marin, the best friend that Carrie ever had. Happy Birthday! - Sidney Robyn Greenbush."


If you look closely, you can see Sidney's inscription on Debbie's back.

Talk about a little girl's dream coming true!

But there's more!!



Of course, I'm also a big Little House fan, as are most of you. In fact, I own the complete DVD set of all 9 seasons, and never get tired of watching my favorite episodes. It's just one of the most beloved, timeless family television shows ever -- I feel like I know all the characters so well, and would love to be in Miss Beadle's class and sit at the Ingalls' family table.

So I got to thinking -- would it be possible to get to know one of the twins who played "Carrie" a little better? Thanks to Ian (who, BTW, is also a twin), I emailed Sidney Greenbush, and she has graciously agreed to stop by for an interview!! *flips out with excitement*


Debbie actually replaced this doll, which got worn from use. Apparently, Debbie is   quite camera shy, as we couldn't find a photo of her with Carrie.

And, I want you, my blog readers, to share this rare opportunity with me. Rather than thinking up a bunch of questions on my own, I want to give you the chance to ask Sidney whatever you'd like about the show. Keep in mind, she and Lindsay were three when they were first cast for the pilot in the summer of 1973, and went on to appear in 8 seasons.

So, if you're a fan of the show, here's your big chance! Just leave your question in the comments, or email me: readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot com). (Please put "Sidney Greenbush" in the subject line.) I'll round these up and forward them to Sidney, and post the interview later in the month.

In case you were wondering, Sidney is the twin who falls in the opening sequence of the show! ☺

♥ Yet another extremely cool and awesome thing: Ian, who produces "Good Day Oregon" on KPTV, Fox 12, just won a 2008 Emmy for the highly popular morning news show! WOOHOO!! Congratulations, Ian!! *beams with industrial strength pride*

*Special thanks to Ian for his remarks and photos of Marin, and thanks to Sidney for the adorable photo of her and Michael Landon.

**Other cast photos posted by permission of prairiefans.com, copyright © 2009. All rights reserved.
 

photo by hal990

Happy June and hello summer!

Now, I know it's barely started, and won't be "official" until June 21st, but I've already entered the free and easy, lazy-hazy-do-nothing-wild-and-wooly summer mindset. I've been feasting on bing cherries, soy ice cream sandwiches, tall glasses of sun tea, and swirling little ice cubes around in my mouth. My wardrobe of choice is white linen; if you're looking for me, I'm the rumpled one dozing in a mental hammock dreaming of Federico Garcia Lorca. Either him, or Gilles Marini. Let's samba and sizzle!


photo mosaic from Veri's kleiner Winkel's photostream

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. Bring it on, I say! I've already gorged myself on strawberries and cherries, and look forward to sweet juicy melons, blackberries, mangoes, nectarines and peaches.

*salivates at the thought of homemade peach pie or cobbler*

photo by mycozycreations

This summer, I want to be more adventurous and try some new veggies. Truth be told, I love eating fresh salads, but I don't really like making them. There's something about washing lettuce that spoils the joy. I don't mind chopping up other stuff, but even a salad spinner won't enamour me to bathing iceberg or romaine. Now, if I could have an easy-on-the-eyes sous chef to do my lettuce, I'd be all set. Hmmm. Maybe I'll ask Paul McCartney how he feels about arugula when he comes over for his birthday on the 18th.


photo by RV Diana

What about the resident teddy bear kitchen helpers? They tend to be a little scarce during the summer months -- prefering to picnic, mess around with boats, and read A.A. Milne aloud with British accents. They'll pop in now and again, to replenish their stores.

Since we won't be leaving town this summer, I'll have to do some armchair traveling. And, I want to reread some of my favorite childhood classics. I miss being carefree. Do you remember it? When you're a kid, summer seems so long and luxurious, and adventures, large or little, can be found around every corner. Those were the days of creamsicles and dilly bars and Kahuku watermelon. Camping at the beach and my mom's famous Korean barbecue sizzling on the hibachi, and lemon shave ice with azuki beans. Yum. I'm there.

Summer at alphabet soup will be relaxed, laid back and fun. Stay tuned for some very special guests, cool reviews, alphabetica, June tunes, forays into foreign lands, recipes, poetry, lots of fruits and veggies, sandwiches and salsa. Will you join me for a cup? 


photo by Blondieyooper

*Don't miss the May 2009 Carnival of Children's Literature, hosted by Tarie at Into the Wardrobe. And Kelly Fineman is devoting the entire month of June to Brushing Up on Your Shakespeare. Some great reading to go with your lemonade or iced tea. ☺

Okay, that's a wrap!


photo by Ozyman

1. Author/Illustrator R.W. Alley

2. Illustrator Carol Schwartz

3. Author/Illustrator Diane deGroat

4. Author Gail Piernas-Davenport

5. Author/Illustrator Jackie Urbanovic, Part 1

6. Author/Illustrator, Jackie Urbanovic, Part 2

7. Author/Illustrator Edna Cabcabin Moran

8. Author/Illustrator Laura Vaccaro Seeger

9. Author/Illustrator Grace Lin

10. Author Debbi Michiko Florence

11. Author/Illustrator Marla Frazee

12. Author Tanita S. Davis

13. Author Maha Addasi

14. Author Zoe B. Alley

        

Many of you know my penchant passion obsession with books featuring food, bears, and the alphabet. Just so happens that our special guest today, children's author/illustrator, Anna Alter, has all these bases covered.

Yes, I drooled right through her first picture book, Estelle and Lucy (raspberry biscuits), loved her adorable Three Little Kittens (mitten and pie endpapers!), eyed up the bowl of porridge in Priscilla and the Hollyhocks, and fell in love with her recycling activity book that just came out in March, What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe (charming bears, cats and bunnies).

Well, now she's topped herself again: another brand new picture book just released in April that features the alphabet, Abigail Spells (Knopf, 2009)! I'm so happy she's stopping here on her whirlwind Blog Tour this week to tell us more about champion speller, Abigail, and her best friend George, who just happens to be a bear.

    
       ABIGAIL SPELLS by Anna Alter (Knopf, 2009),
       Picture book for ages 4-8, 32 pp.

As the story goes, Abigail loves to do many things -- dance the cha-cha, strike a pose, make up great stories to tell George. But the one thing she loves above all is spelling, and she's very good at it. She gets very excited about the school spelling bee, and George helps her prepare for it, but when the big day comes, things don't turn out quite like she had hoped. It's a good thing she has a friend like George, who knows just how to convince Abigail that winning isn't everything.



Abigail Spells is a Junior Library Guild Selection, and has already received glowing reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, who said,

Alter's simply told text deftly conveys the genuine affection between the friends and treats Abigail's disappointment with the gravity it deserves. The enduring message of the inevitability of setbacks and the necessity of gracefully coping -- with a little help from friends -- will appeal to readers struggling with their own challenges.



I love how Abigail spells out everything she does throughout the day. Lovely letters float on the pages, forming cool words like, C-A-R-R-O-T and C-O-O-K-I-E! You can see why I'm smitten with this book (polka dot galoshes)! But now, let's find out more from A-N-N-A:

What inspired you to write this story? Were you a good speller in school?

I was not nearly the speller that Abigail is! But I do relate to her in another way. As a kid I was always terrified of standing in front of a crowd; I had major stage fright. I wanted to write a story about how it feels to experience that kind of fear, and the disappointment that can come from things not turning out the way you wanted them to. Far more kids lose contests like Spelling Bees than win them. But this can be a valuable experience to have if it is put in context. In this story, Abigail learns that friendship is more important than winning.

What was the best part of making this book? The most challenging?

I had a lot of fun painting the art in this book. I used a brighter, richer color palette than I have before and experimented with using patterns and unique color combinations (I borrowed a lot from vintage fabrics and color combinations found in nature). I also really enjoyed painting the skies in several of the paintings. I spent a lot of time mixing colors so that the sky above each scene reflected just the right feeling.

   
 

The most challenging aspect was probably determining the reading level of the vocabulary. Reading levels vary a lot kid to kid, but my editor and I worked hard to make sure that we picked spelling words for the book that kids in early grade school could decipher, but that would be challenging too.

Why did you make Abigail a bird and George a bear? Was this decided before you wrote the story, or when you started on the illustrations?

My stories always start with a character before I write a word. I’ve always loved drawing birds, and especially like the idea of a big round bird with a flair for fashion. Thus Abigail was born. I didn’t make her any one kind of bird, but just knew I wanted her to be big and round. I also enjoy drawing bears; to me they represent warmth and kindness. I thought a sweet, loyal bear would be the perfect complement to Abigail’s big personality.

How did you go about choosing Abigail and George’s clothes (especially Abigail’s snazzy boots)?

    

I wanted Abigail’s looks to get her personality across; I thought a bird with that much passion and enthusiasm for life would have very particular tastes, and galoshes would be a great canvas for her moods!

I love how Abigail spells out everything she does, morning, noon, and night. What are some of your favorite words? Are you particularly enamored of any letter(s)?
 

I like short, to-the-point kind of words like “box,” “pop,” and “sky.” I also like words that are fun to pronounce, like “succinct,” “thrush,” and “buoyant.”

I've always been partial to the letter “A.”

What do you hope children will take away from Abigail Spells?

I hope the book will be a comfort to kids when they experience disappointment, and make it clear that winning isn’t everything. I also hope it will encourage reluctant spellers to get interested in learning about words.

What kinds of things do your friends do to cheer you up?

The nicest thing my friends do for me when I’m feeling blue is to give me a listening ear.

Please tell us all about the special Abigail Spells website, and share a few ideas about how teachers can use this book in the classroom.

I put together www.abigailspells.com to give readers a peek into the creation of the book and give educators some tools to explore the themes in the book with kids. The site has spelling games kids can play, coloring sheets to download, and a curriculum guide that suggests different ways to talk about the book.

The most obvious theme that teachers and parents can use the book to explore is Abigail’s enthusiasm for spelling. Abigail spells everything she sees throughout the day. Using her as a role model, teachers might ask their students to make a spelling journal, a picture dictionary, or create their own spelling matching game like the one that is on the web site.

Teachers (and parents) could also use the book to explore the subject of friendship. Using Abigail and George as an example, they could begin a discussion about what kids like to do with their friends, how they can cheer each other up when they feel sad, and how friends have helped them through difficult situations.

    

What are you working on now?

       

I am working on the sketches for a book called Disappearing Desmond, which will be out next fall. It’s a story about a cat named Desmond, who is very shy, and is always hiding and disappearing into the background. In this story, Desmond meets an outgoing rabbit named Gloria who helps him learn about the joys of being noticed.

Now, I can't let you go without asking a couple of all-important food questions. What food inspires your best work, and what's your favorite food scene from a children's book?

My very favorite meal is fresh pesto with garden tomatoes. But I don't often eat it while working . . . so I would have to say an ample supply of chocolate cookies helps fuel me during the workday!

I was always fascinated with the scene in James and the Giant Peach when James scoops up handfuls of the peach to eat. There was something so appealing about scooping up your food with both hands, and eating it in big, juicy, sweet mouthfuls.

Your favorite soup?

I would have to say my favorite is carrot ginger.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Anna. Since this is the last stop on your Blog Tour, I think we should celebrate with a special bowl of soup created just for you by the alphabet soup teddies. They've been crushing on you ever since you said bears were friendly and kind. Good Luck with Abigail Spells!


Today's Special: Souper Speller (the more you eat, the better you spell).

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

Monday, May 25: MotherReader
Tuesday, May 26: A Patchwork of Books
Wednesday, May 27: Katie's Literature Lounge
Thursday, May 28: Brimful Curiosities
Friday, May 29: jama rattigan's alphabet soup

MORE ANNA:

Visit Anna's official website and blog, Painting Bunnies, an especially good place to follow Anna's progress as she works on new books.

You have to check out the awesome web pages created especially for both of Anna's new books: What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe is here, and Abigail Spells is here.

For a fascinating glimpse into some of the artwork process for Abigail Spells, including handkerchief selection, cover design sketches, and choosing color schemes and patterns, click here.

As always, you can also find Anna blogging at the Blue Rose Girls.

For a 2007 in-depth interview with Anna, click through to 7-Imp.

BOOK GIVEAWAY:


Ursula, Boris, Snowball and Albert are thrilled that George is in the book.

For a chance to win one of THREE brand new shiny copies of Abigail Spells, leave a comment here, spelling your favorite word correctly, no later than midnight (EST) Friday, June 5, 2009. U.S. residents only, please.

*Spreads posted by permission, copyright © 2009 Anna Alter, published by Knopf Books. All rights reserved.

"Most people seem to be interested in turning their dreams into reality. Then there are those who turn reality into dreams. I belong to the latter group." ~ Allen Say


    

Open any one of Allen Say's picture books, and chances are good you will see lots of windows and doors.

Some of these are the wood and paper shoji doors found in Japan, while others are flat panel doors or double-hung windows commonly found in homes across America. 



For Say, these may be portals to a dream state, concrete symbols of conflict and exclusion, or simply the way an outsider views the world -- looking at the lighted windows in a cozy home and wishing he belonged inside, or sitting inside viewing the rest of the world through panes of glass.

I've been a big Allen Say fan since the late 80's, traveling back and forth between Japan and America with him via his books, keenly identifying with his dilemma of a dual identity, walking the tightrope between cultures.

They say we spend the first half of our lives getting through childhood, the second half, trying to come to terms with it. Many of us who write for children admit we write stories to try to understand ourselves better, or to create the happy endings we missed.

 
Both of these titles feature Say's mother, a Japanese American born in Oakland, California. Like her son, she was unhappy when forced to live in another country.

This seems to be especially true of Allen Say, whose work revolves around such themes as alienation, displacement, cross-cultural assimilation, and the search for identity. He was born in Yokohama, and his childhood was largely unhappy -- it was war time, his parents divorced, and he didn't get along with his father (a Korean orphan raised in Shanghai who wanted Say to become a businessman, not an artist).

When sent to live with his grandmother at age 12 to attend middle school in Tokyo, the situation became so unbearable, Say eventually moved into his own apartment and apprenticed himself to cartoonist, Noro Shinpei. A pretty extraordinary set of circumstances, even by today's standards -- but from an early age, Say was determined to make a home wherever he could and live on his own terms despite the disruptions that befell him.

      

In Shinpei, Say found not only a master to nurture his budding artistic talent, but the father figure he so desperately needed. Say calls his four years with Shinpei (which are chronicled in his novel, The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice), as among the happiest of his life. The apprenticeship ended when Say's father decided to move to America, and Say went with him. Unfortunately, the "big adventure" Say was expecting translated into an all-white military academy, where he was separated from everyone else, living in a modified storage room. He was expelled for smoking cigarettes in his room, but was encouraged to pursue his art after enrolling in a public high school. 

      
         Pen-and-ink illo from one of Say's early works, 
         Under the Cherry Blossom Tree, (from oange's photostream).

He took weekend art classes, and after graduation, moved back to Japan. Disillusioned by how much it had changed, he returned to California, and worked briefly as a sign painter's apprentice. He married and enrolled at UC Berkeley to study architecture, but shortly thereafter, was drafted and sent to Germany. His first photographs were published by the Stars and Stripes.



After returning to the States, he worked as a commercial photographer for about 20 years, during which time he also did some illustrating. One of these early books, How My Parents Learned to Eat, by Ina R. Friedman (1984), introduced me to Say's work, and was the first "multicultural children's book" to inspire my own writing.



I didn't learn until recently that Say actually didn't like the way the book turned out because of its poor color reproduction. He had vowed never to illustrate another children's book ever again. But Houghton Mifflin editor, Walter Lorraine, convinced Say to illustrate Dianne Snyder's Boy of the Three-Year Nap, a retelling of a Japanese folktale, which went on to win a Caldecott Honor and Boston-Globe Horn Book Award in 1988. This marked a turning point in Say's career, since he quit commercial photography and has devoted himself to creating children's books ever since. He won the coveted Caldecott Medal for Grandfather's Journey in 1994.

 
   A world traveler, Say's grandfather's heart was also divided between two countries.

What especially fascinates me about Allen Say, is that he is the only illustrator I know of who paints the pictures first and writes the words afterwards. Although most of his books deal with deep issues, he never starts out with any sort of "message" he wishes to convey -- he starts sketching to discover what ideas are floating in his subconscious:

First I doodle. Then I make pencil drawings. When I feel good about what's coming out, I put that on a stretch watercolor paper and start painting. When all the paintings are finished, I put words to them. My editor thinks the way I work is very unnatural -- I wouldn't get a good grade in school -- but it's the best method for me.

Say also admits he doesn't enjoy writing, calling it "the most unnatural thing I know of. No amount of words can paint what something really is." Not too surprising for someone who didn't speak a word of English until he came to America at age 16. Freely admitting that he aims to please only himself with his books, he has also tackled themes like aging (Stranger in the Mirror), the source of creative inspiration (Emma's Rug), and difficult topics like the Japanese internment (Home of the Brave), in stories that seem to speak more to adults than children.

 

Critics speak of his "masterful watercolors," often using words like exquisite, elegant, translucent, and evocative, when describing Say's understated, largely tranquil style. The lines are clean, the spaces uncluttered; there might be a feeling of calmness, but the subtext is poignant, intimate, far-reaching.

Many of his illustrations resemble formal portraits, showing great care with lighting. No doubt his many years as a photographer has enabled him to capture an emotion as it occurs in a split second on canvas. That's where the stories lie -- in those facial expressions, the pain or bewilderment behind the eyes, allowing us, as outside observers, to enter the lives of his characters as we turn the pages. Beautiful restraint. 



Say's latest picture book, Erika-San, released in January 2009, once again has a cross-cultural theme. A young American girl sees a print of a small Japanese cottage with lighted windows hanging in her grandmother's home, and becomes fascinated with Japanese language and culture. She studies all things Japanese throughout high school and college, eventually landing a teaching job in Tokyo, but when she finally gets there, she is dismayed by how big and crowded it is -- not at all like the ideal vision of Japan she's had in her mind all along. 


from Erika-San.

Fortunately, she's able to transfer to a more rural, remote location, and meets another teacher, Aki, whom she eventually marries. The final spread of the book shows a small farmhouse, "nested in the green hillsides of old Japan. And there Erika-san stayed, home at last."


  Erika meets Aki.

Again, lighted windows, but the main character is happy inside -- a direct contrast to the darkened windows of the internment camp buildings in Home of the Brave, where a group of children wearing name tags begs the main character to take them home.


 Erika learns the art of tea ceremony to impress Aki.

Say likes happy endings; couples marry, children with problems have both parents to help them through (they often look in on their children from open doorways), and when things go dark, he will paint in the light. In his 1994 Caldecott acceptance speech, he said, "life's journey is an endless dreaming of the places we have left behind and the places we have yet to reach." 

                                 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Read the full text of Say's 1994 Caldecott speech here, where he mentions the astonishing discovery that Lois Lowry, who won the Newbery the same year for The Giver, attended the very same middle school in Tokyo while Say lived there, and that now they even share the same editor.

Visit the Official Publisher's site for Allen Say here.

You must read Yuriko Say's essay, "My Father."  It was written when she was 13, and is so telling!

And check out this great interview at Paper Tigers.

*Spreads from Erika-San posted by permission, copyright © 2009 Allen Say, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

 

#8 in an ongoing series of posts celebrating the alphabet.



tussie-mussie from MYbeeboANDbijou's photostream.

You probably know that roses symbolize love; lilies, purity; and rosemary, remembrance.

But did you know that if someone hands you a flower with his/her right hand, it means, yes, and with their left hand, no? If the flower is upright, the feelings are positive, but watch out for flowers with their heads down!

I've long been fascinated by the language of flowers, which was all the rage during Victorian times. Depending on which flowers were chosen, what size, how they were grouped together, and how presented, bouquets enabled givers to express thoughts and sentiments society prevented them from sharing openly.


photo by charlie3engineer.

We've all heard about those repressed Victorians. With their keen interest in botany and love for elaborate decoration, they took the phrase, "say it with flowers" to new heights. Tussie-Mussies, or small nosegays of herbs and flowers wrapped in doilies and tied with ribbon, contained secret coded messages that quickened the heart. This necessitated the publication of numerous floriography dictionaries -- so recipients could accurately decipher the passion behind the petal.

Floral language -- rich, fascinating, and varied by culture, dates back centuries to the Greeks and Aztecs, and includes references to classical mythology, religious symbolism, and ancient lore. A small pamphlet like the one pictured below was often kept close at hand for quick reference.

         
            Language of Flowers, circa 1861,
            from Piedmont Fossil's photostream.

Today, I'm offering you this special tussie-mussie, a little bigger than was traditional, since it contains not a few, but 28 carefully selected blooms, gleaned from several different floral dictionaries. The romance between us, a friendship nurtured by a mutual love for words, may not require secrecy, but all too often the courage, patience, persistence, and ambition necessary to sustain a writing career are taken for granted, and much needed words of encouragement or appreciation go unspoken.

So, for what I may have failed to say, but want you to have, here's your very own word nosegay. May it sustain you always, and help you court your muse!

A WRITER'S TUSSIE-MUSSIE


from homeandheart's photostream.

A - Amaryllis, to encourage the creative muse.

photo by Vanda's Pictures.

B - Bittersweet, for Truth.

C - Clematis, for Artifice and Ingenuity.

D - Dandelions, for Wishes Come True.

from riaskiff's photostream.

E - Edelweiss, for Courage and Daring.

F - Fir, a gift of Time.

G - Ginger, for Strength.

photo by rist2796.

H - Hepatica, for Confidence,

photo by HelenJr.

and Heather, for Solitude.

photo by Mutley27.

I - Iris, for Faith, Wisdom, and Hope.

J - Jasmine (white), for Amiability.

K - Kennedia, for Intellectual Beauty.

photo byDalinean.

L - Larkspur, for an Open Heart, and Lupine, for Imagination.

photo by Jungle Durian.

M - Myrtle (wax), for Discipline and Instruction, and Magnolia for Perseverance.

photo by Rana Pipiens.

N - Nasturtium, for Conquest and Victory!

O - Oxeye Daisy, for Patience.

photo by Roger B.

P - Parsley, for Useful Knowledge.

photo by foxielicious.

Q - Queen of the Prairie, for a Farsighted Outlook.

R - Raggedy Robin, for Wit, and Rose (red and white), for Creative Force.

photo by audreyjm529.

S - Sunflower, for Good Luck, Wealth, and Ambition.

T - Tulip (pink), for Dreaminess.

photo by Allard1.

V - Valerian, for an Accommodating Disposition.

W - Wormwood : Do not be discouraged!

Y - Yarrow, to dispel melancholy and cure heartache.

photo by Tanaka Juuyoh.

Z - Zinnia (yellow), for Daily Remembrance.

*Since the business of writing and publishing is especially difficult these days, I'm adding another little treat: a solid color carnation, signifying the one word writers most long to hear: YES YES YES! For double good luck, I'm handing it over with my right hand ♥.


photo by abbietabbie.

Love's language may be talked with these;
To work out choicest sentences
No blossoms can be meeter;
And, such being used in Eastern bowers,
Young maids may wonder if the flowers
Or meanings be the sweeter.
~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

 Certified authentic alphabetica, handmade especially for you with love and a bounty of blossoms.
 

It's been quite a month -- flowers, salad, strawberries, and Asian Pacific American Heritage. As far as I'm concerned, every month is a time for ethnic pride, learning more about other cultures, and getting excited over books that feature new voices and perspectives. Do you need an excuse to eat more dim sum? Not me!

One of the ways I've been celebrating APAHM is to pick up some of the picture books I'd heard about, but never got around to reading. It was good to see titles featuring more Korean, Japanese, and South Asian characters, alongside the plentiful store of Chinese books. We still need more stories about Hawai'i and the Philippines, though, so I'd better get busy. 

                     

Anyway, today I'm serving up this tasty stir fry combining the flavors of Korea and China. Each title brims with its own brand of color, texture, and emotional resonance: 

THE SQUIGGLE by Carole Lexa Schaefer, pictures by Pierr Morgan (Crown Publishers, 1996). A spirited little Chinese girl finds a red piece of string on the ground and exuberantly imagines what this newfound squiggle could be -- a dragon? a great wall? the circle of a deep still pool? When she shares her perceptions with her classmates, of course they "get" it right away and let out a big cheer. The marker and gouache illos on oatmeal speckle tone paper are fresh and simple, pulling the reader right into the fun. I love the "slither slish, push-a-pat, crack crickle hiss" of the narrative! A real charmer.

     

   

NEW CLOTHES FOR NEW YEAR'S DAY by Hyun-Joo Bae (Kane/Miller, 2007). Translated from the original Korean, this sweet first person narrative follows a little girl who's celebrating the Lunar New Year by putting on new clothes her mother has made for her. There is joy in each piece, from the crimson silk skirt, to the rainbow-striped jacket, delicate socks embroidered with flowers, to the hair ribbon of red and gold.

Hyun-Joo Bae's winsome illos showing the girl's expressions as she wraps the skirt around herself, tumbles over while putting on her socks, and struggles with her hair ribbon, are wonderfully captivating and provide an emotional focal point for the largely formal, precisely composed settings. An Author's Note describes the significance of new clothes for New Year's Day, and there's a lovely diagram of the costume with proper Korean names for all the pieces.

 

WAITING FOR MAMA by Lee Tae-Jun, pictures by Kim Dong-Seong (North South Books, 2004). This haunting, poignant little tale, set in 1930's Korea, features a small boy waiting at a streetcar station for his mother to arrive. It's winter, and the boy seemingly waits a long time, in the cold and snow, as conductors on arriving streetcars answer his question about the whereabouts of his mother with a matter-of-fact, "Do I know your Mama?" The pastel and pencil illustrations, rendered in subdued ivories, browns and olives, enlarge the story, which is told in Korean Hangeul alongside its English translation. The boy is a paragon of patience, so tiny on the platform amongst other travelers, so alone in a big world. The final double page, wordless spread shows the boy and his mother walking home hand in hand in the midst of a blizzard. The story seems simple, but it's capable of stirring deeper emotions, primarily because of the illustrations (the story was originally published in a newspaper in 1938).



MY MEI MEI by Ed Young (Philomel, 2006). This is the true story of how Ed Young and his family went to China to adopt a little sister, or "mei mei" for his daughter Antonia, and how she learned to be a big sister to little Ananda. Told from Antonia's point of view, it traces the significant moments of this sibling relationship -- starting from when Antonia first asks for a little sister, to them flying the "friendly sky" to China, to seeing Ananda for the first time, to experiencing jealousy and realizing "she was not all she ought to be" (requiring special teachers to learn to walk and talk). There is love and warmth in the simple yet significant ways the sisters eventually bond, and the gorgeous gouache, pastel and collage illustrations render the experience with such luminosity it takes the breath away. That I can feel a father's love in every aspect of the story's execution only deepens my veneration for it.

   

RUBY'S WISH by Shirin Yim Bridges, pictures by Sophie Blackall (Chronicle Books, 2002). A simply told, inspiring story based on the author's grandmother's experience of growing up in turn-of-the-century China at a time when females were married off rather than educated. Ruby (named for her love of the color red), displays an independent spirit and love for learning, even while respecting what tradition dictates. Young readers will likely admire Ruby's quiet determination as she continues with her studies while fulfilling domestic obligations. Thanks to a special relationship with her wise and enlightened grandfather, Ruby eventually realizes her wish of attending university. Sophie Blackall's gouache illos effectively depict Sophie's unconventional personality and contain just the right kind of details to keep readers engaged all the way through.

   

MY NAME IS YOON by Helen Recorvits, pictures by Gabi Swiatkowska (FSG, 2003). The satisfying story of how a Korean girl, Yoon, learns to adjust to her new life in America. Feeling alone and alienated from her classmates, Yoon resists writing her name, which means "Shining Wisdom," in English. She much prefers to write her name in Korean, where the "symbols dance together," saying that in English, all the lines and circles stand alone. Each day as the teacher encourages her to write "Yoon" in English, Yoon chooses instead to write a word that reflects her inner feelings -- a CAT, which could hide in a corner, or a BIRD, which could fly back to Korea. 

One day, a classmate gives Yoon a cupcake, and she expresses her happiness by writing CUPCAKE. Growing feelings of acceptance coupled with the teacher's smiles, finally prompt Yoon to write her name in English, as she realizes she will still be Yoon in any language. Swiatkowska's paintings dramatically depict Yoon's transition from alienation to acceptance, as they go from starkly spare and surreal to warm and humanizing.

    

UNCLE PETER'S AMAZING CHINESE WEDDING by Lenore Look, pictures by Yumi Heo (Atheneum, 2006). Feisty, spirited Jenny feels like "an umbrella turned inside out" at the prospect of her Uncle Peter's upcoming nuptials. After all, she's always been his best girl, and now, Stella, an interloper in a red dress who's the new center of Peter's universe, threatens her every happiness. Several fascinating Chinese wedding traditions, including bargaining for the bride, bed jumping, and exchanging good luck money, are described in Jenny's forthright, humorous voice. The lively telling is tempered by Jenny's very believable sadness at losing her uncle, and Yumi Heo's quirky, Maira Kalmanesque pencil, oil and collage illos perfectly depict this noisy, hectic family celebration with its jumble of emotions. Jenny will win you over from the start.




                     
                         Happy Reading!

SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY, by Paula Yoo,
pictures by Lin Wang (Lee & Low, 2009). Ages 9-12, 32 pp.

Look what's being released this Saturday, May 30th!!

I've been anxious to read this picture book biography of Chinese American actress, Anna May Wong, ever since I first heard about it in Tarie's interview with author Paula Yoo at Into the Wardrobe. When I told the nice folks at Lee & Low that I wanted to review it during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, they sent me a review copy lickety split.

Growing up, I had heard my parents and relatives mention Anna May Wong, and I may have even seen some of her movies. But I never knew much about the details of her life and the struggles she had to overcome as the first Chinese American actress, and the first internationally acclaimed Asian American actress.

Paula Yoo has written a fascinating, inspiring, thoroughly engaging account of Anna's life, beginning with her childhood in Los Angeles' Chinatown, to her return to Hollywood in the 1930's after visiting China, when she vowed never to "play again in a film which shows the Chinese in an unsympathetic light." 

The book opens with nine-year-old Anna May tied to the railroad tracks, struggling to free herself from the path of an oncoming train. She's not really in danger, but daydreaming about being a damsel in distress.


"There was nothing Anna May enjoyed more than sneaking away to the cinema."

Her vivid imagination and love for cinema certainly made her humdrum, tedious life, toiling in her family's laundry, somewhat bearable. Every chance she got, she saved her pennies to escape to the movies, where exciting and glamorous stories also helped her forget about the teasing she was forced to endure in a predominantly white school. 

One day, she saw a movie being filmed right in her own neighborhood. She soon began to skip school regularly to watch and ask questions about filmmaking, eventually earning the nickname, "Curious Chinese Child." She decided then and there to become an actress, reenacting scenes and practicing different emotions in front of the mirror in her bedroom, much to her parents' dismay.

Despite being punished and forbidden to cut school, Anna May never gave up her dream and secretly visited movie sets whenever she could. She begged her father to allow her to audition, and won a part as an extra. This led to more roles, but she was always typecast as a "China Doll" or a "Dragon Lady." She was also frustrated that people of color were not allowed to kiss their white co-stars on-screen, and that Chinese women were always portrayed in demeaning, negative ways. 


"Anna May won her first big role in Bits of Life, a 1921 movie starring Lon Chaney as a Chinese man named Chin Chow. She played his wife, Toy Sing."

 
"The yellowface makeup disturbed Anna May. Her father had always told her to be proud of her race, but the ugly makeup made her feel ashamed."

Quite the fashion icon, with her stylish 1920's bob and flapper fashions, she eventually became so disillusioned with Hollywood, that she went to Europe, where she became an overnight success in "Piccadilly" (1929). She had achieved her dream of international stardom, but when she returned to Hollywood, she lost a major role in "The Good Earth" to a white actress wearing "yellowface" makeup.

Heartbroken, devastated, and feeling unwelcome in her own country, Anna May left for China, where she spent time with her family and immersed herself in the culture. This experience led to her decision to honor her heritage "by fighting for more authentic images of Asians on-screen."


"She learned how much her father had sacrificed so their family could have a better life in America."

Yoo's well paced, seamless narrative informs with just the right amount of interesting detail and pathos. While examining the notion of "cultural stereotype," which hinges on fear, suspicion, ignorance, and misconception, Yoo also emphasizes how Wong struggled on many fronts -- pursuing her career despite parental objection, accepting demeaning roles in order to make a living, and coming to terms with her own identity, i.e., feeling "torn between my race and my American homeland."

Misconceptions tend to linger for no good reason, and as Yoo states in her Author's Note, it's only been in recent years that film scholars and fans, long critical of Wong's stereotypical portrayals of Asian characters, have finally realized the degree to which she struggled against discrimination and how she crusaded to effect change. They now praise the sympathy and humanity she brought to her limited roles.



Lin Wang, a classically trained portrait artist, has brought this compelling narrative to life with luminous, ravishing watercolor and acrylic illos. The spreads are lush and rich, echoing the grandeur of movie sets. The likeness to the real Anna May is startling and mesmerizing; she is often clad in intensely emotional tones of deep red, plum, orchid, or pumpkin, and the last spread of her sitting at a table with her striped jacket and floral hat is simply gorgeous.

Shining Star is geared for older picture book readers, who, though probably unfamiliar with Wong, will be inspired by her fierce determination in pursuing an acting career at a time when discrimination was rampant, and even going on to crusade for more authentic portrayals of Asians in films. Like Paula Yoo's excellent PB biography of Sammy Lee, Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds (which I reviewed here), this one is a must-have for home and library collections.

                                     ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Check out the publisher's website for a video interview with Paula Yoo, more reviews and spreads from the book.

Paula Yoo's website is here, and you can see more of Lin Wang's exquisite art at her website.

The Nonfiction Monday Roundup is at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

*Spreads posted by permission, text copyright © 2009 Paula Yoo, illustrations
© 2009 Lin Wang, published by Lee & Low Books, Inc. All rights reserved.
 

"I've dined with kings. I've been offered wings. And I've never been too impressed."  ~ Bob Dylan


photo by Matthew Rolston

Today, The Man is 68 years old. Last month, he released his 33rd studio album, Together Through Life, which debuted at #1 in the U.S. and U.K. This summer, he's doing a Ballpark Tour with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. He's still got it, friends, and look at that those blue eyes and steely gaze. *swoon*

To think, it all started in this modest home in Hibbing, Minnesota:

photo by C R U S A D E R

These days, in addition to selling out all his shows and garnering new fans at every turn, Bob's paintings are in high demand. Love this kitchen scene:

  
     "Still Life with Peaches," by Bob Dylan.

Here are some links to help you celebrate and get in the groove today:

♥ Douglas Brinkley recently featured Dylan in his Rolling Stone article, "Bob Dylan's America." There are some online excerpts, more of Dylan's art, and cool photos here.

♥ PASTE magazine devoted its entire April issue to Dylan with all kinds of good things, including this highly challenging Super-Impossible Bob Dylan Brain-Busting Trivia Quiz. Looks like I need further study.

♥ The Huffington Post recently featured parts 4 and 5 of a conversation between Dylan and MTV Producer Bill Flanagan (the first 3 installments can be found at Bobdylan.com). He talks about his new CD and pop music in general.

In case you haven't heard the new CD yet, here's the official video of the first track, "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," which will hook you from the gitgo with its warm Chicago blues feel:


Enjoy the day!!

"He turn'd a fruit to an enchantment which cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young." ~ Lord Byron


photo by sunshinesyrie

Did you know that May is National Strawberry Month?

Lots of sweet, juicy beauties have been appearing in the stores for a few weeks now, and I can't get enough of them. I think they just might be the most beautiful, perfect fruit around -- no peeling required, no pits or troublesome seeds, ounce for ounce, containing more Vitamin C than citrus fruits, and only about 50 calories per cup!

  
     photo by heatherkh

*bites into a dark red ripe berry and sighs with rapture*

My first bite of strawberry each spring instantly brings to mind three things that make me supremely happy: Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (still a sentimental favorite), "Strawberry Fields" by the Beatles (no explanation needed), and Wimbledon tennis.

I lived in Wimbledon for two years, and once walked over to see Martina Navratilova play in Court #1, followed by a serving of the best strawberries and cream I've ever had in my life. English berries are simply divine! This experience prompted me, while living in London, to indulge in scones, strawberry jam, and Devonshire clotted cream at every opportunity. I have since tried to recreate this particular dreamstate to no avail, as this treat is best enjoyed with a nice cup of Fortnum and Mason Darjeeling in a chilly bedsitter, gazing at a quintessentially English grey sky. 


photo by su-lin

Ah, but there's so much more to strawberry love than its taste. ♥


photo by snapper48

I recently learned that each spring in some parts of Bavaria, country folk tie small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of cattle as an offering to the elves, who are mad for them. This supposedly helps to produce healthy calves and an abundance of milk. I'm thinking maybe I should wear a basket of strawberries around my neck, so the elves here will help me produce good stories! ☺

Either that, or I could copy a certain Madame Tallien, who hung around Napoleon's court. She was famous for bathing in strawberry juice. Can you imagine? It took at least 22 pounds of strawberries to fill a basin. I'm guessing she didn't bathe that often. More likely, she had her fair share of cold strawberry soup, which was routinely served to newlyweds as an aphrodisiac. *fans self*

By now you're probably hot and hungry, so I'm serving up a poem by Genevieve Taggard, and my recipe for Strawberry Cobblecake. You may know Genevieve by her biography of Emily Dickinson, written while she taught at Mt. Holyhoke Seminary. Apparently she was a socialist who was criticized for her political poems (what else is new), but more interesting to me, is that she was raised in Hawai'i, where her missionary parents ran a multicultural school. Her poem captures the rapture.

MILLIONS OF STRAWBERRIES
by Genevieve Taggard


photo by Mr.Jaded

Marcia and I went over the curve,
Eating our way down
Jewels of strawberries we didn't deserve,
Eating our way down,
Till our hands were sticky, and our lips painted.
And over us the hot day fainted,
And we saw snakes,
And got scratched,
And a lust overcame us for the red unmatched
Small buds of berries,
Till we lay down --
Eating our way down --
And rolled in the berries like two little dogs,
Rolled
Into the late gold.
And gnats hummed,
And it was cold,
and home we went, home without a berry,
Painted red and brown,
Eating our way down.

Now, to eat your way down, try this easy recipe. It's from a charming little cookbook called Strawberry Patchwork by Susan A. McCreary, a local Herndon author. The cobblecake is a good brunch cake -- down-to-earth, homey, unpretentious. You simply pour the batter into a greased pie plate, and arrange the strawberries on top, like this:



As it bakes, the batter gently puffs up around the berries.



It's delicious with whipped cream, and makes a nice change from shortcake, or as they say, "sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam, and feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream."

STRAWBERRY COBBLECAKE



2 cups strawberries
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 egg
milk
1 T sugar
cream

Cut 6 T butter into flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar until mixture is crumbly. Beat egg slightly in one cup and add milk to make 1 cup. Stir in flour mixture until blended and pour into greased deep pie plate. Halve strawberries and arrange cut side down in rings on top of batter. Dot with 2 T butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes, or until center is firm. Cut in wedges and serve with cream.



Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is being hosted by the lovely Susan Taylor Brown at Susan Writes. When you see her, give her this: !

A FEW MORE TIDBITS:

Strawberries (a symbol of Venus, the Goddess of Love), have long been synonymous with passion, healing, and perfect righteousness. Its luscious red color and heart shape have inspired poets and painters through the ages; Medieval stone masons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals. 

The ancient Romans believed that the berries alleviated symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, halitosis, attacks of gout, and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen.

American colonists created their own version of strawberry shortcake after tasting the bread baked by the Native Americans, which contained crushed berries mixed with cornmeal.

Don't miss my recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie. Seriously, seriously good!

       
        Beary berry!              

 

    
  CORA COOKS PANCIT by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore,
  pictures by Kristi Valiant (Shen's Books, 2009).
  Picture book for ages 4-8, 32 pp.

Here's a thoroughly delicious, lip-smacking picture book, perfect for celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

Just released by Shen's Books in April, Cora Cooks Pancit is the heartwarming story of a little girl's first experience helping her mother prepare a favorite Filipino noodle dish.

As the youngest in the family, Cora usually gets stuck with little kid jobs, like drawing pictures in the flour or licking the spoon. But one day, while her older siblings are out busy with other things, Cora, who longs to be a cook, finally gets her chance to be Mama's assistant. When Mama asks Cora what she wants to make, this is what happens:



All her favorite Filipino foods danced in her head.
Lines of lumpia pranced in rows.
Adobo chicken legs be-bopped in time.
She saw a large bowl of pancit. 
The thick noodles and vegetables curled and swirled in a dance party. Mmmm.

Wearing Mama's red apron, Cora finally gets to do grown-up jobs, like soaking the noodles and shredding the chicken. She lines up the vegetables while Mama slices them. Best of all, she gets to stir everything together in the big pancit pan. It looks and smells so good. But what will her siblings say when they find out she did their jobs? And will they like Cora's pancit?



Dorina Lazo Gilmore's text is delightful, engaging and wonderfully sensual. Mouths will water when, "The pot began to hiss and sizzle. Mama added spices too -- garlic, ginger and a splash of soy sauce. Mmmm. Cora loved the smell of garlic."

I love the mother/daughter bond in the story, and children will likely appreciate how special Cora feels, as the youngest of four, to have Mama all to herself. The red apron is also a very nice touch -- Cora learns it originally belonged to Lolo, her grandpa, who grew up in the Philippines and cooked for farmworkers in California. 

Kristi Valiant's illustrations are the warm stuff of golds, browns, and rich jewel tones. Cora's expressions are convincingly hopeful, joyous, pensive, and tentative, as she anxiously tries her hand at new tasks. Kids will especially love the added storyline of the family dog, who follows Cora around with a toy in his mouth, wanting her to play. The true joys of cooking -- from the initial anticipation, through every step of preparation, and finally, the sharing and tasting, is palpable with every page turn. By the time you come to the final double page spread of the whole family at the table, you'll wish you were right there, feasting on the adobo chicken, lumpia, and Cora's first pancit. 

Recently, I asked Kristi about how she created the pictures for this lovely book, and she graciously shared these thoughts:

The text for Cora Cooks Pancit is very sweet and charming. After I read through it numerous times, I created small sketches called thumbnails to get an idea of the general flow of the illustrations, and how I would divide the text between pages. Picture books by definition tell part of the story through pictures, so I tried to pick out parts that can be expanded upon to tell a deeper or funnier story by "reading" the illustrations.

For example, I like humor in picture books, so I added a dog who wasn't mentioned at all in the text. He follows Cora around and keeps bringing more and more toys hoping she'll play with him. She ignores the dog all the way through the book, until the very end when she's lying on the floor playing tug of war with him.

After I did quick sketches, I took photos of a 5-year-old and her mother as a reference for the poses, and I checked out all the books from my library about Filipino food. Then I drew more detailed sketches. I work digitally, so I do everything from sketches to the final color paintings on my mac using a wacom tablet and an electronic pen.

I played around with the brush creator in Photoshop to get my computer brushes to look like pastel, watercolor, or acrylic, and I use the electronic pen as a paintbrush. It allows a lot more editing freedom than traditional paints, and the undo button has become a big part of my process! The author, Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, included her family recipe for pancit in Cora Cooks Pancit, so part of my process for this book was to make this Filipino noodle dish. It is delicious! Super yummy! I hope you enjoy it too.

In addition to Lolo's Pancit Recipe, there's also a short glossary, and the back flap features fetching photos of both Dorina and Kristi with their noodle bowls. I know you will enjoy this feast of a book -- not only is it a rare title featuring Filipino culture, it's so delectable, the whole family will ask for repeated servings!☺

                                    ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Dorina Lazo Gilmore, who grew up spending a lot of time in her Filipino-Italian family's kitchen with her mama, grandma and aunties, also has a fabulous blog, health-full, where she and her husband and daughter share budget-friendly, healthy recipes. 

You can learn more about Kristi Valiant's work by visiting her website and blog. Stephanie Ruble recently interviewed Kristy here.

Check out the publisher's webpage for more about Cora Cooks Pancit!

If you're looking for a few more delicious ways to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, click here for my 2008 posts, featuring several Asian American authors and their spicy recipes, an interview with Debbi Michiko Florence, poetry, sushi, and book reviews. I also interviewed Grace Lin  and Edna Cabcabin Moran, who shared her recipe for lumpia.

The Queen of Resource Lists, Elaine at Wild Rose Reader, offers lots more here.


photo by Happy Jack Eats.

Hungry yet?

*Spreads posted by permission, text copyright © 2009 Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, illustrations © 2009 Kristi Valiant, published by Shen's Books. All rights reserved.
 

My banbury cakes arrived! Remember when I blogged about them for Poetry Friday awhile ago? Well, they finally appeared in my mailbox, no worse for the wear after their long journey all the way from Oxfordshire, England.

They came in little packages, like this:

   

The teddy bear tasters in the kitchen pronounced them officially yummy. They loved the currant filling -- not overly sweet, but perfect with its flaky crust. Thought you'd like to nibble on one with a cup of tea, while I share some cool links from around the blogosphere that have made me happy recently:

♥ Tarie at Into the Wardrobe interviewed me!! She's doing a wonderful series in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which includes chatting with people like Lisa Yee, Dom Lee, and Cindy Pon. For the first time ever on any blog, me and my sugar daddy! Thank you for including me in your celebration, Tarie!

♥ Have you been following the Summer Blog Blast Tour? I'm loving all the interviews so far -- especially interesting: Carrie Jones at Writing and Ruminating, Jo Knowles at HipWriterMama, and Maya Ganesan (an amazing 11-year-old poet) at Miss Erin. The full week's schedule can be found at Chasing Ray.

♥ I don't know if you follow Haven Kimmel's fabulous blog, but the other day she answered some questions from her readers -- about all kinds of strange and wonderful stuff. Should one wear shoulder pads? What 10 CDs would you recommend for a road trip? Could one get arrested for trying to repair a stuffed owl? And my favorite: Which stuffed animals and dogs make the best surrogates for socializing with people? It doesn't matter whether you care about these things or not, what matters is that this woman can write the pants off anyone within miles. An enviable talent, indeed.

♥ The Bridget Zinn Auction is closed to donations, but still open to bids until May 30th. Check out the cool offerings, and take a few minutes to reflect on the awesome generosity of people in the kidlit community.

♥ Have you signed up yet for MotherReader's 48-hour Book Challenge (weekend of June 5th)? Lots of cool prizes and a legitimate excuse to do nothing but read and blog the whole time!

♥ Foodies, don't miss Becky Ramsey's post about Lunch Boxes at Wonders Never Cease. The dabbawallas and a cute video featuring Bento Boxes are worth the price of clicking through!

♥ Cari at Bookscoops reviewed my Hawaiian folktale, The Woman in the Moon! Thanks for the kind words, Cari!

♥ Finally, an update: Two weeks ago, I posted about the Mid Atlantic SCBWI New Member Welcome and Get-together, mentioning Erica Perl's Q&A and her new book, Chicken Butt. Well, she is no longer accepting manuscripts because she resigned as Editor-at-Large at Abrams. She just accepted a new position as Senior Director at the non-profit organization, First Book.

       

Hope you enjoyed your banbury cake, and have a lovely Wednesday!

photo by frotos

Good, you're here! Just in time for lunch.

Today, we're featuring some beautiful May flowers on the menu. It seemed like a perfectly mad idea, since most of us are used to flowers as either table decoration or garnishes on dessert.

What's that? You say you'd rather look at flowers, smell them, maybe wear them, rather than actually eat them? Me too! Somehow it just seems wrong, doesn't it, to bite into a blossom?

Apparently, people do it all the time, and I'm thinking, maybe I need to get over myself and munch on a marigold. After all, flowers have been incorporated in foods for thousands of years in Roman, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. The first recorded recipe was by a Roman named Apicius for eating brains with rose petals. *scrunch face*

Not exactly what I'm craving right about now, but wait a minute! Maybe I'm not as conservative as I thought. I've had jasmine tea, and lots of artichokes, cauliflowers, broccoli, capers, and lilybuds. When you consider flowers infused in oils, those used to make wines, spirits and vinegars, or the whole gamut of dried or frozen herbs, most of us actually consume flowers without really thinking about it. But I guess it's not the same as eating fresh orchids with avocado, is it?


photo by Laura Hartrich

Would you perhaps prefer some cauliflower soup with chive blossoms? 

photo by bricolage.108

Or some Flower Power Pizza?

photo by windattack

For dessert, you can either have some Flower Pot Cake (not real flowers, but so pretty I had to throw them in),

    photo by sweetie pies

or a slice of this delicious yellow cake with buttercream frosting:

photo by Dulzura Magica

Thirsty? Help yourself to some flower tea,

  Common flower teas include jasmine, rose, lotus, and chrysanthemum.
  (photo from eat-my-heart-out's photostream)

and, if you like, cool it down with a flowery ice cube.

photo by inspiredbyeverything

There now, wasn't that yummy?

Edible flowers can be found in some grocery stores and farmer's markets; a typical bagged mix will include bachelor's buttons, nasturtiums, pansies, snapdragons, and calendula. Recently, Martha Stewart offered some tips for growing your own edible flower garden, focusing mainly on a lavendar theme.


photo by rootytootoot

Always use common sense: don't eat any flowers from florists, nurseries, or those growing by the roadside, since most will have been treated with pesticides. Also, remove the pistils and stamens; for most flowers, only the petals are edible. Flowers are meant to be eaten in small amounts; people with allergies should be especially careful. For a long time, I drank chamomile tea without realizing it's a no-no for people with ragweed allergies.

I think I'm going to check Whole Foods for edible flowers this week. If any of you have any recipes, recommendations or experiences with edible flowers, please share! BTW, May is the perfect time to try them, since its National Salad Month!

            

To test your Edible Flower IQ, click here.

For a list of edible flowers, click here.

     
      Nibble, nibble!

*Hamster photo from knittingskwerigurl's photostream.
 

Quello quello!

My favorite quack is back!

Jackie Urbanovic, author/illustrator of the wildly popular picture book series about Max the duck, has stopped by today to share some fabulous news. Some of you may remember my two-part interview with Jackie last year, where she gave us the scoop on her creative process, extolled her love for comic books, and revealed a surprising fondness for Gobstoppers.

Well, the first two Max books, Duck at the Door (2007) and Duck Soup (2008), both New York Times Bestsellers, have been chosen to be part of Kohl’s Cares for Kids® campaign! During May and June, both books will be available at stores across the country for the amazingly low price of just $5 each! And there’s more – both Max the duck, and Brody the St. Bernard, have gone three dimensional! They’re now available as adorable, cuddly plush animals, also at $5 each. Best part is, 100% of the net profits from the sale of these items will support health and educational opportunities for children in your own community!

We’re thrilled at the good news, Jackie. Can you tell us a little more about Kohl’s Cares for Kids®?

This campaign raises money to help kids keep healthy through hospital partnerships and education. Kohl’s has donated money to create new therapies for childhood illnesses and have sponsored nutrition programs, fitness events, and more. They also award scholarships to young adults who’ve been exceptional volunteers in their communities. Since 2000, Kohl’s merchandise sales have raised $102 million to support kids’ health and education.

     
        Max and Brody display in Kohl's, Fairfax, Virginia.

Brody, Max, and Irene’s entire menagerie are proud to be part of this. As you already know, they believe in helping dogs, cats, cockatoos, rabbits, ducks, and alligators. What you may not know is that, like me, they especially believe in helping kids.

How do Max and Brody feel about their newfound fame?

Max said, “It’s QUACKALICIOUS!!” And Brody, well, Brody is just delighted.

How do books get selected to be part of this wonderful program?

The mechanics of the process aren’t clear to me, but I know it helps to have a great agent and a book on the Bestseller List.

Tell us a little about the third book in the series, Duck and Cover, which just came out in January.

In this book, an alligator named Harold comes to the door seeking refuge. He’s big and his appetite is even bigger. But his heart turns out to be biggest of all.

 

You’ve said that most of the animal characters in these books are based on real pets either you or your friends have known. What about Harold? Is his personality based on anyone in particular?

First off, let me clarify: I've never lived with or known any alligators! So, his personality is part English gentleman and part me. Just as the cooking side of Max comes from my love of food, so does the eating part of Harold. I DO believe that a little bit of everything is always tasty! 

I’m thinking, on one hand, since you know your characters so well, it would be easy to keep writing more stories about them, but on the other hand, it might become more challenging to retain that high standard of excellence and perfectly pitched comedic timing you’ve already attained. Overall, what was the experience like creating this third book?

The basic idea came to me in the middle of a fiction writing class. The teacher said that if you knew your characters well enough, you could put them in any situation and create a story from their responses. Then he suggested that a powerful way to approach this is to challenge your character's most valued beliefs. Well, this household's most valued belief is that everyone should be helped and taken care of.

       
           Max admiring his plush image.

So, I thought, what if someone in need and also dangerous shows up at the door? The teacher was right, it created the strongest story I've worked on so far. This concept made possible a wonderful series of running jokes: Harold and his love of food matched with Max's love of cooking, along with the cat's desire to keep Harold continuously fed so that they wouldn't be his next meal.

        
           Giant plush Max watching TV in his favorite chair.

I did have trouble resolving the conflict, and both my editor and my friend Susan helped me with their insights. Originally, I had the family taking a road trip to Florida so that they could return Harold to the wild -- the Everglades. Even though there were a few good jokes in it, it kept falling flat. I found making fun of a Florida trip difficult because there are so many tourist stops that are really and truly surreal and funny; it was hard to parody them. It was my friend Susan who suggested the costumes and I am forever grateful for such a surprising and elegant solution.

Finally, what are you working on now?

A recent project, now in bookstores, is a collaboration with author Elizabeth Cody Kimmel – an incredibly funny book titled, Glamsters. It’s about Harriet the hamster and her sister Patricia. Harriet is staying up nights worrying about never being adopted. She comes up with a scheme to make herself irresistibly GLAMSTEROUS, and ends up scaring her sister witless!

    

 

Upcoming projects for 2010 include a fourth Max the duck book titled, Sitting Duck. It’s a babysitting story and the baby is bigger than the sitter! And, there’s If You’re Hoppy, a book I’m illustrating for April Pulley Sayre.

    
           Cover image for Sitting Duck.

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Jackie. I love that in addition to being rollicking funny stories, all the Max books display a genuine compassion and caring for other living beings.

Thank you, Jama, for this interview and your compliments!


It was so much fun seeing all the plush Max and Brody toys!

Okay, enough quacking for now. Be quick about waddling down to your nearest Kohl’s store and scoop up a bunch of Max and Brody books and plush toys. They’re such an incredible bargain and a great way to help kids. I stocked up on Christmas gifts, and may go back before the end of June for shower, baby, and graduation gifts. Max and Brody are baby-soft, and the books are trade hardcover editions with dust jackets. If, by chance, you don’t live near a Kohl’s store, you can order the merchandise via their website.

                    


For more about Jackie and her books, visit her official website. There’s a special page for Max the duck books here.

In case you’re not familiar with Duck at the Door or Duck Soup, peek inside the books at the publisher’s website here.

To read my 2008 interview with Jackie, click here for Part l, and here for Part 2. 
 

To learn more about Kohl’s Cares for Kids®, click here.

*Spreads from Duck Soup, Duck and Cover, and Glamsters posted by permission, copyright © 2009 Jackie Urbanovic. All rights reserved.

#7 in an ongoing series of posts celebrating the alphabet.


alphabet font by cah

Brace yourselves.

I'm going raw and uncensored today.

No soup, no cake, no cooking. It's too hot in the kitchen to turn on the stove. You know how it is.

I'm playing with dry alphabet pasta! Shocking, oh my, yes. And so dangerous. Chalk it up to May Madness.


Note: Tapioca pearls make excellent periods.

ABC
by Robert Pinsky

Any body can die, evidently. Few
Go happily, irradiating joy,

Knowledge, love. Many
Need oblivion, painkillers,
Quickest respite.

Sweet time unafflicted,
Various world:

X = your zenith.

Here's the audio version:


Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is being hosted by the irrepressible Kelly Polark. Dance, baby, dance!

See all the other alphabetica posts here.

 Certified authentic alphabetica. Handmade especially for you with love and a bowl full of raw affection.

Hip hip hooray!

*cartwheels* *backflips* *high jumps*

WooHoo! Friends, we can hardly bear it, because today, Kristy Dempsey's very first book, Me with You, is officially out!


ME WITH YOU by Kristy Dempsey, pictures by Christopher Denise,
(Philomel Books, 2009). Picture Book for ages 4-8, 32 pp.

Each new book is a miracle, but a first book is a very special cause for celebration. No matter how many books an author publishes, there is, and always will be, only one first book.

"Once you begin being naughty, it's easier to go on and on, and sooner or later, something dreadful happens." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

    
    Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls

Which children's book character would you most like to be for just one day?

I'd like to be Laura Ingalls, mainly because her childhood was so vastly different from mine. I would love to have three sisters, a father who plays the fiddle, a dog named Jack, and a more intimate knowledge of how food was grown, cultivated, preserved, and prepared in the late 19th century. It would also be quite cool to be called, "Half-pint."

Pioneer life was much harder than is depicted in the Little House books, so I wouldn't necessarily want to actually be Laura Ingalls Wilder -- no, just the Laura in the stories who eagerly watches Ma make Pancake Men, takes her turn at churning the cream, marvels at eating a little heart-shaped cake made from white flour, and is there to smell and taste all the bread and biscuits fresh from the wood-fired oven.

Somehow, no matter what difficulties Laura and her family faced, they got through them by pulling together and remembering what's really important, or, as Laura herself said, "It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

To celebrate Children's Book Week, I decided to try Laura's gingerbread recipe. It's from The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook, which is a collection of 73 recipes she collected while living with Almanzo at Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri. Apparently, she enclosed this recipe with a letter she wrote to Jennie Lindquist, an editor at Horn Book Magazine. I love seeing Laura's handwriting!

    

I also loved the fragrance of each of the spices as I added them by teaspoonful to the flour per Laura's instructions --  ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. A whole cup of molasses couldn't be rushed out of the bottle; it came out slow, thick, and gooey, and so very black. Whenever I use blackstrap molasses, I think I might grow chest hairs. It just sounds so strong and commanding, I know it will make itself known in the final product. I also say "blackstrap molasses" in my deepest voice for the full effect. Try it. "Blackstrap Molasses."


Rocky Ridge Farmhouse, Mansfield, Missouri, where Laura and Almanzo lived most of their married lives (photo by maria.caprile).

   
     Laura's writing desk, Rocky Ridge Farm.
      (photo by alcott1)   

The kitchen really smelled great while the gingerbread was baking -- a little like Christmas. The recipe doesn't specify size of baking pan, but I used a 9" x 9" square pan, and it was just right. It was also done in exactly 30 minutes, just like the recipe said. And the flavor? Yummmm. Positively strapping, I'd say. Robust, and not overly sweet. Lovely texture. But like any gingerbread or spice cake, it was even better after a day or so. Best of all, it's something Laura really made herself, and baking it made me feel closer to her.

LAURA'S GINGERBREAD



1 cup brown sugar blended with 1/2 cup lard or other shortening.
1 cup molasses mixed well with this.
2 tsp baking soda in 1 cup boiling water. (Be sure cup is full of water after foam is run off into cake mixture.)
Mix all well.

To 3 cups flour have added one teaspoon each of the following spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and 1/2 tsp salt. Sift all into cake mixture and mix well. Add lastly 2 well-beaten eggs. The mixture should be quite thin.
Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for thirty minutes.
Raisins and, or, candied fruit may be added and a chocolate frosting adds to the goodness.

 

I still remember how a public librarian first introduced me to the Little House books when I was 9 or 10. They've been important in my life ever since. The very first thing I ever got published was an article about Laura's daughter, Rose, in Cobblestone Magazine, back in the late 80's. I still try to read everything Laura-related I can get my hands on. Now that I've enjoyed her gingerbread, I'm going to treat myself to two recent books I've not yet seen: Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life, by Pamela Smith Hill, which focuses on the writing/editorial relationship between Laura and Rose; and Tanya Lee Stone's DK biography that just came out in March.            

Okay, I'm going to have another piece of gingerbread now.

*chest hairs sprouting*

♥ To read my post about Almanzo Wilder with a recipe for Apples 'n Onions, click here.

♥ Most of the newspaper columns Laura wrote for the Missouri Ruralist are online. I'm thinking she would be a great blogger -- sharing stuff about farm life, her family, and things in the news. I especially loved the column she did about the Food Products building at the San Francisco Exposition,"Magic in Plain Foods." She was fascinated by the modern machinery that makes food production so much easier, and the variety of foodstuffs available to the modern cook from around the world. She went around enjoying samples of rose cakes, rice cakes, and Scottish scones, and collecting recipes, including one for French croissants and Chinese Almond Cakes:

"We use raisins, flour, tea, breakfast food, and a score of other common things without a thought of the modern miracles that make it possible for us to have them."

**So, now, please tell me: which character do you want to be today? I'd love to know, and maybe try a recipe that your character liked. ♥
 

This is just to say we have selected the winners in our Melissa Sweet Book Giveaway!

After riding around in a red wheelbarrow and consuming an inordinate number of juicy plums, Cornelius got right down to work.

A brilliant idea, I had to admit. But I also knew this idea could turn into another fiasco, where certain parties would be fighting over the fishing pole. Well, I underestimated Cornelius' foresight, because he raced to the Paddington closet and recruited the only bears fully qualified for the job.

       
Both wore yellow slickers and answered to the name of "Gorton."

Cornelius carefully baited the pole,


then Big G snagged the first winner (for the Cheese book),


and Little G snagged the second winner (for A River of Words).


And they are: *drum roll please*

Jen W. of Eclectic Reader and LJ's Susan Taylor Brown!

*cue in thunderous applause and marching band music*

      

CONGRATULATIONS, JEN, ON WINNING THE CHEESE BOOK, AND SUSAN FOR WINNING A RIVER OF WORDS!!

And thanks to all of you who entered. Please stay tuned for more interviews and giveaways right here at alphabet soup!

Oh, before you go, why not have a plum?

photo by Morgan Rowe

    

Bidding is now underway for this beautiful original, unpublished painting by children's author/illustrator, Grace Lin!

Small Graces is a year-long charity auction benefiting the Foundation for Children's Books, which helps bring authors and illustrators to underserved schools in the greater Boston area for visits and residencies.

Like previous items, this painting is approximately 5" x 5", gouache on Arches watercolor paper, is signed and dated by the artist, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

For more about Grace and her books, visit her website.

To read about Small Graces, click here.

To place a bid on this item, which has an estimated value of $450, click here!

    

Check out the official Children's Book Week website for ideas about how to celebrate. There are suggestions for kids, parents, teachers, librarians, and publishers. The winners of the Children's Choice Book Awards will be announced on Wednesday, May 13th. It'll be interesting to see how children and teens across the country voted.

The above poster is available free (plus postage), and you can also download free bookmarks, like the one below. The entire downloadable toolkit is here.



Elaine Magliaro at Wild Rose Reader has compiled yet another fabulous resource list that's perfect for this week. Love how she's included all the major award winners from 2008. It's great having all this information in one place -- so if you're looking not only for activity suggestions, but for ideas about which titles to select, check in with Elaine!  

Have fun and happy reading!

"A great nation is a reading nation." ~ Frederic Melcher

"If I had a flower for each time I thought of My Mother, I could walk in my garden forever." ~ Anonymous


photo by 3littlemiracles

 HOPE YOUR DAY IS DELICIOUS AND DELIGHTFUL!!

No socks greeting by Carrie Peters.

Okay, let me see your feet. Are you wearing socks?

If so, take them off immediately! Today is No Socks Day!

That's right -- a special day set aside to help the environment by doing a little less sock laundry. Happy toes, here I come!

Nope nope nope. You won't find any socks here today. Not a one.

But there is this: I've had socks on my mind ever since I read Kristy Dempsey's Poetry Conversation with her husband last month. She sent him a copy of Pablo Neruda's Ode to My Socks, because he's a person who relishes comfortable things. Do you know Neruda's poem? I'm sure no one has ever described socks so eloquently. In fact, they sound so unbelievably exquisite, I doubt he could have gone without them today.

ODE TO MY SOCKS ♥
by Pablo Neruda


My dream socks (by resorta 425).

Maru Mori brought me
a pair
of socks
which she knitted herself
with her sheepherder's hands,
two socks as soft as rabbits.
I slipped my feet
into them
as though into
two
cases
knitted
with threads of
twilight
and goatskin.

(Rest is here.)

Apparently, after reading the poem, Kristy's husband kept thinking about those socks, along with a few other things he really loved: his pen, his pajamas. But then, he surprised Kristy with a poem of his own, à la Neruda:

ODE TO MY OFFICE CHAIR ♥
by Demps Demsey

Sam Walton brought me
a leather office chair
crafted by the sandpaper hands
of nickel and dime Banana republic laborers,
one chair
like a big friendly bear.
I slipped
my butt into it
as if
into
a billowy cloud
covered
with the fabric of
fog
and supple Italian leather.

(Rest the rest here.)

Pretty cool, no? 

FOOTNOTE:

photo by vanderwal

Just because we're not wearing socks today, doesn't mean we have to go without soup (sacrilege). In fact, socks all over the country, freed of their podiatric obligations, have been assuming other guises and living it up:


Sock puppy sniffs out some veggie soup (photo by canndy).

   
      Argyle bunny gets in on the action (by canndy)

Okay, now remember: in case anybody asks you, you DID NOT see any socks here today:

photo by sockmonkeyfun

The Poetry Friday Roundup this week is at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day. Do you think she's wearing her socks or cooking them?


photo by francescabrown

"If it weren't for women, men would still be wearing last week's socks."
                                                                    ~ Cynthia Nelms