How to use this Page

Picture book month continues here at Book Review Wednesday, but first a word from our sponsors...


Now back to our regularly scheduled program. When the temperatures cool it is a good idea to pull out the ingredients for a little soup– the ultimate comfort food. In my husband's family, the joke is that a chef can't make truly good soup until they've reached 40. (We're there.) To pull together the right ingredients and spices, and end up with love in a pot, it takes creativity, know-how, and risk taking. 

Ruthie, in The Princess of Borscht, has all of these qualities. The Princess of Borscht, written by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty member Leda Schubert, and illustrated by another VCFA faculty member, Bonnie Christensen comes out Tuesday, November 22rd. (Happy Book Birthday Leda and Bonnie!) 

From the publisher:
Ruthie's grandma is in the hospital, not surprisingly complaining about the food. All she wants is a nice bowl of borscht. Ruthie comes to the rescue, even though she hasn't the faintest idea of how to make it. With the help of a few well-meaning neighbors (including the Tsarina of Borscht and the Empress of Borscht and some ingenuity of her own), a soul-reviving brew is concocted…

The book has earned a star from Kirkus: 
"Of course, it’s not just about borscht or even about cooking, though there’s a great recipe included. Schubert has concocted a sweet mixture of traditions that bind and give comfort, along with love in many forms; intergenerational family, friends and neighbors all act with selflessness, kindness and compassion. Christensen’s heavily outlined, strongly colored illustrations emphasize equally strong personalities. The paintings are filled with details that add interest to the proceedings, from the array of get-well cards in the hospital room to the homey, old-fashioned décor of Grandma’s apartment."

The book also got some attention from the New York Times (that's nothing to sneeze at):
"Schubert (“Ballet of the Elephants”) turns the story of a sick relative, not a particularly cheery topic, into a sweet and salty tale, warmed by Christensen’s lively sketches, about bickering Jewish neighbors and intergenerational caregiving."

If you'd like to know more about Bonnie and her art work I can point you to not one, but two! lovely postings on Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast. 

Soups on, grab a book!

November has been dubbed Picture Book month. You can find out more, read about the importance of the picture book at this blog. Or you can take a look at the Picture Book Proclamation here.

I'll be using my Book Review Wednesday space this month to celebrate the picture book! If you missed last week, Sleds and Balloons, take a look.

This week, let's dive into the Holiday season with one Christmas and one Chanukah book. In order to be well-sold, a picture book should face out on a bookstore shelf. Space is short these days though, and holiday themed books have an even harder time competing because they have a very short shelf life in the bookstore.
 
Toni Buzzeo, a Maine youth services librarian, school presentation expert, and author, has had a long line of successful picture books. These include: Sea Chest, the Dawdle Duckling series, and a number of books that are set in libraries. I got a sneak peek at her January 2012 release One Cool Friend, when I went to a workshop presented by the amazing David Small (her illustrator for the story), but more about that later. Today, I want to tell you about her current release, Lighthouse Christmas.


Shop Indie Bookstores

 
From Toni’s website:
Frances is determined to make Christmas jolly for her younger brother, even if it means joining family on the mainland and leaving Papa behind on their isolated lighthouse island. After all, would Santa even know how to find them in this faraway spot? But when Christmas Eve is ushered in on a wild storm and Papa risks his life to rescue a drowning man, the children realize that the most important thing about the holiday is being together.
 
As in all great Christmas stories, a happy ending is in store, and Santa finds them after all. Cozy and nostalgic, this story was inspired by the Flying Santa program, a New England tradition since 1929. It’s the perfect book for a family to read together in front of the fire on Christmas morning.
 
School Library Journal gives it a starred review:
“There’s a charmingly nostalgic feel both to the story and to the illustrations, which convey a sense of time and place and are very appealing. An author’s note gives a brief history of the Flying Santa Service, which was created in 1929 and continues to this day delivering treats to Coast Guard families. A lovely tradition and a lovely book.”
–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
 
Educators should take note that in addition to the back-matter regarding the Flying Santa Service, Toni also has a curriculum guide and a reader’s theater script for seven parts on her website. Take a look!
 
Erica Silverman gave us Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa, as well as Liberty’s Voice: the story of Emma Lazarus. Her recent release, Hanukkah Hop, illustrated by Steven D’Amico, is bopping, rhyming book that invites readers to a Hanukkah party.  


Shop Indie Bookstores

The illustration are bold, bright and graphic and remind me of jazz posters from the 1950’s. This style fits the story to a tee. The book takes the reader from party preparation, to when the guests arrive, to games, and to a quick review of the Hanukkah miracle. Ther

Happy Book Birthday to Red Sled, by Lita Judge and Balloons Over Broadway, by Melissa Sweet. Both of these wonderful, kind, talented and generous women have been featured here at Creative Chaos before and I’m pleased to welcome them back.
 
If you loved our early snowstorm, Red Sled, will take you into the cool blues of winter with loose and lovely watercolors.
 
Starred From Kirkus: “Judge’s latest may be virtually wordless, but it packs a powerful visual punch that will stick with readers long after the final page is turned…Though rendered simply, Judge’s pencil-and-watercolor animals are gloriously full of life and infectious joy. Readers will be hard-pressed to finish this without letting their own joy show through. Pure genius.”

 
I attended Lita’s book cover workshop at the NESCBWI Spring Conference. In addition to giving all of the participants generous feedback on their work, she also shared the journey to the cover of Red Sled. It was not easy folks. There is a mystery in this almost wordless picture book and it was difficult to show what the book was about without revealing the ending.
 
 
Enjoy the trailer of the book here or there:


For those of you who are counting down the days to Thanksgiving, pick up Melissa Sweet’s, Balloons Over Broadway. This is a picture book biography of Tony Sarg, who was responsible for many of the helium balloons we enjoy in the Macy’s Day parade.
 
Starred From Kirkus: “This clever marriage of information and illustration soars high.”
 
Starred From School Library Journal: “Sweet tells this slice of American history well, conveying both Sarg's enthusiasm and joy in his work as well as the drama and excitement of the parade. Rich in detail, the gouache, collage, and mixed-media illustrations are a stand-out, capturing the charm of the period and the awe-inspiring balloons. This one should float off the shelves.”
 
And here is a fun illustrated interview with Melissa about the book!

Have a great picture book week.

Shop Indie Bookstores

I am a note taker. The fact that I took absolutely no notes during Libba Bray’s recent speech at SCBWI’s 40th Anniversary Conference in LA has nothing to do with a lack of content and everything to do with the fact that I was laughing hysterically. When I started reading her most recent young adult release, Beauty Queens, I knew I could expect more laughs. How could you not when the author started with the premise, “A plane full of beauty queens crashes on a deserted island.” What Ms. Bray has ended up with (in addition to marvelous humor and witty satire) is a smart and biting commentary on feminism, beauty, motherhood, and commercialization in our modern world.

Now before you groan and go get a cheese sandwich let me say that what is masterful about this book is how none of this is shoved down your throat. There are wonderful, imaginative, quirky characters here. Through tight and realistic dialogue and a fresh structure, Ms. Bray takes readers behind the stereotypes, behind the masks of her main characters allowing us to glimpse their heart and soul, their fears and vulnerabilities.

There is no “message” here, but there is theme. Theme comes after the book is written. Theme is the questions that the text forces each reader to ask but leaves each reader to answer. “Can girls (and boys) be themselves in our current culture?” “Has corporate greed corrupted the media?” “What is beauty?” “Has the beauty industry run amok?” “What are we doing to empower girls and boys in our current commercial culture?” “How do our parents shape us? Can we be us- apart from them?” “How does our sexual schizophrenia (American puritanical/commercialized) effect our sexuality and health?” “What is the responsibility of our elected officials in all of this?”

If you are teaching Lord of the Flies this year, I highly recommend that you included Beauty Queens, as a comp lit piece. The discussion opportunities would be endless. And while you’re at it, add in Golden Kite Winner Tanya Lee Stone’s The Good, The Bad and The Barbie. By the way, I was so engrossed in Beauty Queens that again I failed to take notes. However I did underline a favorite quote on page 177:

“Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one’s watching them so they can be who they really are.”

Ah, yes, Libba. An island-- or a room of one’s own.

My family is baseball family. Both sons love playing first base and pitching. My son’s room has a green monster complete with scoreboard and red socks painted on the wall. We spend many happy summer evenings at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine watching the SeaDogs minor league team. So I was thrilled to receive a review copy of David A. Kelly’s recent Ball Park Mysteries series book The L.A. Dodger.

In the series, Kate and Mike travel to various major league ballparks and find themselves in mysterious situations. Kate is logical and observant. Mike is more impulsive and daring. Together they solve problems that the adults around them can’t. Peppered throughout the book and in the back matter is information about what makes each ballpark and home team historically unique.

I happened to be on a plane to L.A. while reading the book and loved the sightseeing tidbits. Kate and Mike visit Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Santa Monica Pier, Griffith Park Observatory and La Brea Tar Pits. Mr. Kelly does a nice job weaving in the information without interrupting the narrative flow of the book. Each excursion plays into the mystery.

Random House gives the book a 2.8 grade level but there are plenty of first through third grade kids who would love this book. Kids at this age are eager to read series, which give them a chance for literacy success. I recommend it especially for baseball lovers or infokids– those kiddos who memorize baseball stats, historical information or the names of dinosaurs.
 

Did you know that at the same time women were meeting for women’s rights in Seneca Falls, New York, Charlotte “Charlie” Parker drove a stage coach around Goldrush California dressed as a man? California here I come and what better book to be reading than Women of the Golden State. This children’s book is a collection of nonfiction articles by wonderful writers including Linda Crotta Brennen, Joyce Ray, and others.

The book begins with a 1776-2006 overarching timeline that places each woman in history. The individual articles are short, well organized and readable. Each author has done a wonderful job finding the child friendly entry point to profile these women. Extra interesting tidbits are available in well-designed sidebars and back matter for each article includes an individual timeline, a glossary, and books and websites that encourage further study.

Many of the women in the book made California their home later in life. Some suffered on long journeys to the west. Bridget “Biddy” Mason was a slave who won her freedom in an 1856 California court case. She walked 2,000 miles behind her master’s wagons and livestock.

Others such as Jessie Anne Frémont, Charlotta S. Bass, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Janice Mirikitani found the pen mightier than the sword in efforts to support their own family, fight discrimination, convey the immigrant experience and remember the poor treatment of Japanese-Americans during the second World War.

Modern women profiled in the book include organizer, Dolores Huerta; environmentalist, Dian Fossey; politican, Nancy Pelosi; athlete, Billie Jean King; muralist, Judith Baca; astronaut, Sally Ride; and Olympic rower, Anita L. DeFrantz.

The book is full of historic firsts, activists, and philanthropists. By exposing children to the leadership and accomplishments of the women profiled in the book, the authors also depict a history of social justice. I highly recommended it for home schooling families or any family hoping to enrich their child’s access to alternative historic resources. It makes a great back-to-school gift for the teacher with no book budget. Women of the Golden State is part of the larger America’s Notable Women Series  all perfect for the school and library market.

Happy belated book birthday to Jessica (J.L.) Powers whose book, This Thing Called the Future, was officially launched on May 1st. http://jlpowers.net/this-thing-called-the-future/
Jessica was in my Picture Book Certificate class at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

From our beloved professor, Sarah Ellis, this summary:
“J.L. Powers takes the challenges and sorrows of contemporary South Africa and renders them powerfully immediate in the character of  Khosi, a girl negotiating coming of age in her post-apartheid, AIDS-ravaged country.  Provocative, unvarnished, loving.” –Sarah Ellis, professor in the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and reviewer for The Horn Book and the New York Times.

J.L. Powers was conceived in northern Kenya, grew up in the big bad border town of El Paso, Texas, and eats jalapeños on everything—but that doesn’t mean she was able to stomach the fiery pepper of Mozambique known as the piri-piri! About ten years ago, she became so obsessed with South Africa that she got not one but two master’s degrees in African history. She’s so confused by now that when she tries to speak Spanish, she ends up speaking Zulu instead. This Thing Called the Future is her second young adult novel.

Because I’m a little late coming to the party, there has already be

Today on Book Review Wednesday, we welcome Jane Sutton and her main character Sidney. Jane’s picture book, Don't Call Me Sidney  just launched last week and I am so happy to have her here at Creative Chaos. Jane is a New England author of seven books for children. According to her website, Jane likes to laugh, ride her bike, watch the Red Sox play baseball, do crossword puzzles, travel, and dance and sing along to rock music.

Sidney, and his friend Gabie the duck, were imaged by Italian illustrator, Renata Gallio. It may have been more appropriate to invite Sidney for a poetry Friday post. Yes, Sidney the pig is a poet-- a poet with a problem. You would have a problem too, if you couldn’t find anything to rhyme with your name.

The funniest thing about Sidney’s problem is that he creates it himself. He is not poet enough to restructure his lines, instead he chooses to rename himself “Joe,” a name with plenty of rhyming possibility.  In doing this, Jane digs a deeper more meaningful problem for Sidn--, I mean Joe. Who is he really, and what’s in a name? Sidney solves his problem and revises his poetry on his own, to make a very satisfying ending.

In addition to wonderful facial and body expression, Renata Gallio creates character by giving Sidney a never-ending supply of scrap paper. Throughout the book, we see Sidney’s thought process on the papers that trail behind him or are taped to furniture, walls, and buildings.  (Like Sidney, I often have purses and pockets full of scrawled scraps. Ah… the life of the writer.) This is a wonderful example of the illustrator extending the story. Renata Gallio uses acrylics, collage, pencil and a muted palette to create Sidney and his friends.

Welcome Jane and thanks for bringing Sidney. Just a few questions:

Most picture book authors expect to wait two to three years for their manuscripts to go from contract to pub date. I understand that you sold the Don't Call Me Sidney manuscript in 2001, but it is only just being released this week. Congratulations! Can you give us a short history of the obstacles this manuscript faced on the road to publication?

Don’t Call Me Sidney was originally Don’t Call Me Mortimer, a sequel to The Trouble With Cauliflower, published in 2006.  When we learned the sequel wouldn’t work out, my editor and I decided that I should rewrite the text with new characters since the second book would have a different illustrator. It took a long time to find the right illustrator for the project. But she was definitely worth waiting for! Actually, I think the extra wait has made the release of the book feel all the sweeter. I’m dancing in the streets! No neighbors have called t

It's been quite a long time since my last post. Much has been going on and since it is too long to explain I'll just sum up. (Did you get the Princess Bride allusion there?)

Jobs: I've applied to a writing specialist job at Bates and a teaching position at the Friends School of Portland. I've been interviewed at the Friends School so it seems that is more likely to come through. Contacting the Bates folks today to follow up. I also applied to LL Bean's for retail sales position at the Bike, Boat and Ski shop. I was psyched when they called to offer me the job. I went in to fill out all my paper work, watch their harassment video (not how to, but how not to), and get cleared by their health department. Turns out that the job I was offered was a "level 5" position which requires lifting a 50 lb. box to the height of 76 inches. I did 40 safely, but needed spotting on 45 and help on 50. So bad news...no Bike, Boat and Ski job. Good news...they called yesterday and offered me a position in camping. Discount, here I come. Summer weekends, good-bye.

Triathlon: I've been training like crazy and after watching the Polar Tri last Saturday, I'm really excited about the celebration that my first race will be. The race is coming up soon, next Saturday, May 22nd, there is still time to donate to the cause. All money goes to help with YMCA scholarships for camp and membership. The "Mighty Mama's" (our team) is so close to our $200 goal. Please help.
And because I'm a crazy girl, I've already signed up for my next Tri with the Bath Y. (Not a fundraiser) so I'll get a chance to do all three sections and be timed for both transitions.

VCFA/Writing: I've been chugging away churning out picture book manuscripts this semester and have at least 2 or 3 that I feel are submission quality. One is with an editor now and I'm hoping to hear something soon. I need to revise my novel and start subbing to agents but things have been so busy that I've had to put that on hold.

Book Review Wednesday: Um... I'm really sorry. I just haven't kept up and there's really no excuse except, well, all the other stuff I've been doing.

Illustration: The Great Goose Auction is over and I'm trying to find out what happened with my two painted eggs. More on that later. My Fufu And Fresh Strawberries illustrations are awaiting an input of funding to The Telling Room in Portland. They are hoping for grant money to make the design and publication possible. Right now, I'm working on illustrations for my picture book Roar which I will show at the Illustrator's Academy this Sunday. I'm also working on my poster for the showcase and trying to get my portfolio together too. I've been happy doing the whole portfolio thing on line so it's kind of a pain to get all the images together, printed out and assembled in the book. So on that note, here are some images to take a look at. Enjoy.

Shop Indie Bookstores

 

Books with a “This is the House that Jack Built” format often use the first line as the title of the book. However, the first line is just a starting point from which to build the actual story. “This is the house that Jack built,” is not about the house at all but about the community around the house. Similarly, The Matzah that Papa Brought Home, by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Ned Bittinger, is not about matzah at all but about the Passover seder.

With tight and lyrical rhyme, Manushkin captures the high points of the Passover Seder from a child’s point of view. The narrator is clearly the child of the “Papa” who brought home the matzah. The child voice is unmistakable in the fourth spread into the story, when we read, “This is me standing tall and proud/ to ask the Four Questions nice and loud/ during the Passover Seder we shared/ to eat the feast that Mama made/ with the matzah that Papa brought home.” This passage reveals that the narrator is the youngest child in this family and the illustration portrays a sweet six-year-old girl who is glowing with the responsibilities of her question-asking task. My inner-child especially connected with the line, “This is “Dayenu,” a very long song/ that we sang with our stomachs growling along…”

Bittinger’s paintings are rendered in oil paint on linen using deep shadow and glowing light to intensify emotion and lead the eye of the viewer around the painting. From the feast, to clearing the table, to the child trying to sneak a bit of matzah, the images capture the chaos and order of a Passover Seder. My favorite image is of the narrator sitting on Papa’s lap, each of them taking pinkies full of wine to diminish their pleasure while reciting the plagues. The figures are bathed in light, the background a deep brown/black but in the middle values, frogs and locusts hop, and rains fall on enslaved Hebrew workers. This dreamy sequence allows two stories, Manushkin’s and the Exodus, to be told at the same time. www.franmanushkin.com/thematzahpapabroughthome.htm

The only issue I had with the book was the line, “This is the feast that Mama made with the matzah that Papa brought home.” I stumbled over this line when reading it aloud to my boys and we all looked at each other. My son said, “The roasted chicken [in the illustration] didn’t come from the matzah.” I agreed. Obviously, the feast was made to go along with the matzah but the syntax suggested that the whole feast was made from the matzah.

Scholastic published the book in 1995, and it is well worth the interlibrary loan. If you are looking to buy the book, it was reprinted in paperback in 2001 and should be available for order through your nearest Indie-bookshop. Happy Passover to all!

Oh goodness. It has been over a month, a month? since I've posted and I'm so sorry. That means I've done NO book review Wednesdays for a month. Ack. (And I thought those would keep me blogging.) March has been a month of deadlines and to excuse my absence I quickly fill you in on some of the deadlines that I've been meeting and working towards. If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably see a lot of this already so my apologies.

March 1: Final illustrations for the book Fufu and Fresh Strawberries You can see some of those illustrations here.
Forum assignment for my Picture Book Certification Semester at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA)

March 15: Final egg paintings for the Great Goose Egg Auction. You can see the eggs here.

March 17: My 2nd packet was due for VCFA

March 22: Forum assignment for my Picture Book Certification Semester at VCFA

March 23: I did my first multisport event. An indoor triathlon at the Naval Air Station Brunswick. The event was a 1000 meter row on an ergometer, a 5 mile bike on a stationary lifefitness cycle, and a 1.5 mile treadmill run. You can see pictures of me and Mike (the gentleman paired with me)  in the event and read more about it in the captions here. I used this indoor triathlon to train for an event that I am doing in May, The Tri for the Casco Bay Y. If you'd like to donate a small bit to the scholarship funds and to my team the MIghty Mamas, please take a look at our fund raising page where you can donate online. I'll be swimming and cycling and my friend Rachel will tag off to do the 5K run.

This past week I've been revising and polishing the first 10 pages of my novel, working on the synopsis and query letter for the deadlines associated with the New England SCBWI spring conference critiques and quick queries. While the Friday and Saturday registration is full, there are still spots for Sunday so check it out.

I also just got back from the post office, where I was sending a picture book to for the April 1st scholarship deadline at VCFA and a trip to the library where I was stocking up with a new load of 25 picture books for VCFA Packet 3!

All of this with my husband out of state for the first three weeks of March and two kids who need me.

So you see, I've been an extremely busy Writer/Mom/Triathlete but we'll see if April, with its extended sunshine hours, allows me to find more time to blog. Happy Passover to all who celebrate. Look for my Wednesday review of the book: The Matzoh That Papa Brought Home.



Shop Indie Bookstores

This is the second installment of a book review and discussion of picture book biographies. The first one is here, if you’d like to read it or I can just catch you up. Because PB biographies are so short, it is my opinion there needs to be a focus on language, and story over biographical information. Last week I talked about the hook and through line in the Joseph Albers book An Eye for Color, as well as the wonderful language in Susannah Reich’s José! Born to Dance. Today I’m going to discuss voice, and how illustrations can be used to create character.


Shop Indie Bookstores

We start with Lita Judge’s, Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West. In the interest of full disclosure, I need to say that Lita is a dear friend but don’t let your knowledge of that fact minimize the sincerity of my praise.

An author writing a picture book biography has to, as any picture book author, leave space for the illustrator to add to the story telling. Lita is an author/illustrator so the evolution of her pictures and text happen in a more streamlined and dynamic way. Throughout the revisions, new art might change the text, new text might change the art.

In this book, the art is a key part of the characterization of Tom “Yellowstone” Moran. Moran was an artist who set up his easel in the wilds of the American West. Lita is also a plein air painter. Plein air painters paint outside catching the light and colors of the landscape moment by moment. Lita brings this skill to the book. Sweeping canyon and mountain panoramas are interspersed with framed inset spot illustrations. What does this have to do with PB biographies?

Lita’s paintings create character. Not only by what they portray but also by how she portrays the landscape. The reader understands the humility, dedication, and sense of mission in Tom Moran by the way the natural world is depicted. The text confirms this. The reader learns how Tom took a chance by leaving Philadelphia and coming out to join a scientific party with only a letter of recommendation. How he presses on through the pain of riding a horse for the first time, camping in difficult conditions, and forging new trails. Each of the inset illustration is a window into a more intimate aspect of Moran’s character. They let the reader glimpse his sketchbook, as well as quiet or difficult moments for the title character.

At the end of the book, the reader gets to see the actual 1872, Thomas Moran oil painting of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  The grandeur of the landscape literally dwarfs humankind, as Moran has included tiny figures in the foreground.

Many author’s notes in PB biographies give more facts and dates that the author couldn’t fit into the text. Lita’s author/illustrator notes relay more of her research process and personal connection to the story.

Shop Indie Bookstores

Thanks to those of you who have been nudging me to post on my blog again. Since there have been NO Book Review Wednesday’s for about a month, it is high time I get back to work. Get ready for a quick discussion of picture book biographies.

I’ve been immersed in PB biographies recently as I am working on one myself. I find that the most effective writing in this genre comes from authors who remember the importance of story and language without getting caught up in trying to relay too many facts. Thirty-two pages is not a lot of space. The author of a PB biography has to narrow her focus and find a logical and kid friendly entry point into the life she wishes to relate. In the two books below, the text is relatively simple but each book contains author’s notes or historical notes to tell the reader (or teacher or parent) more.

Shop Indie Bookstores

First up is An Eye for Color: The story of Josef Albers. Josef Albers was an artist and designer who studied with the Bauhaus school in Germany until the Nazis closed it. Albers moved to the US and taught at Black Mountain College near Asheville, NC and then Yale. His study of color interaction using large squares of color is taught in every modern color theory class. As a child, the author, Natasha Wing, was Albers’ neighbor.  

Shop Indie Bookstores

In José! Born to Dance, Susanna Reich uses lively, lyrical, rhythmic language that mimics Limon’s dance technique. Reich builds character by weaving Spanish phrases and words into the text. (A glossary appears in the front matter of the book but really the context of most phrases makes the Spanish understandable.)

Reich hooks the child reader by starting the story with 15 pages about Limon’s childhood. Instead of focusing on historic events that might seem dry to a child, Reich magnifies the feelings associated with the events: the happiness and energy of José’s dancing birth in Mexico, his quiet visits with his grandmother, experiencing new things such as theater, being scared during a bullfight, feeling left out as a new kid in America, and his feeling of inadequacy as an art student i

When one is creative, one must create. There are certain ducks that need to be in a row before the creation can begin. If you carefully follow my list of artistic preparation below, and you might be an award winning procrastinator artist. (Someday, I might too.)

Make sure your children are asleep. (They are bound to wake up as soon as you complete the list so don't have high expectations.)
Let the dog out.
Let the dog in.
Feed the dog
Get dressed in your comfy creative clothes: Overalls (Mine are paint spattered with so many holes that one leg is almost severed.)

Comfy socks. (These are the ones I got for Chanukah.)

Something to hold your hair back (if you have hair). I like the Rosie the Riveter bandana look.

And you'll need an apron.


Check your email.
Check your friend's blogs.
Uh. Oh. What did I tell you? Now the kids are up and wanting breakfast. Maybe I'll create something tomorrow.
"Book Review Wednesday" returns on January 6th! Happy Holidays.

Shop Indie Bookstores

Spinelli, Eileen, and David Slonim. Silly Tilly. Tarrytown, N.Y.: Marshall Cavendish Children, 2009.

On my trip to New York for the Jewish Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference day at the 92nd Street Y, I met with the Marshall Cavendish art director. She was lovely, enjoyed my illustrations (hooray), and brought some wonderful Marshall Cavendish books to give away. Luckily, I ended up with Silly Tilly.

Eileen Spinelli is a hero and mentor in my journey to publication. When I met her and asked how she was able to find her own writing time while raising her children and supporting her husband's writing career she explained, "It's all about writing in the cracks." This has become my mantra and I often look for the cracks in my day when I can fit in a poem or a sketch or even a group of words that come to me. (Sorry, this was suppose to be about Eileen and not me.)

Nevertheless, Eileen has written a silly rhyme, a "daffy-down-and-dilly" rhyme about a goose named Tilly. (A silly goose, get it?) Silly Tilly brings fun and laughter to her farmyard with the silly things she likes to do. Silly Tilly takes baths in apple juice, wears a pancake on her head, tickles frogs and combs her feathers with a rake. When her farm mates get sick of her tomfoolery, they forbid her from any more silly stuff. Until, of course, they realize that the farm is "dullsvile" without her.

I bet right about now you are thinking of a silly toddler who would just crack up about Tilly's silly antics. Trust me, if that toddler saw David Slonim's acrylic paintings of Tilly soaking her feet in mayonnaise or sledding downhill on cookie trays they'd have giggles that just wouldn't quit. Slonim layers his colors creating wonderful cool color shadows and warm highlights. He keeps his work gestural by outlining in pen and pencil.

If you have a silly goose 3-6 year old on your holiday list, check out Silly Tilly.

1. I know it's been a while since I just blogged for the pleasure of blogging. I miss it. I really do. Life has been quite hectic recently. I'm sure a few of you are going through the experience of having a spouse who works far away so that they can have a job. This is our situation. We have gotten use to the good-byes, the hello's are getting a little easier too. Hubby has been a total trooper doing the "bag drag." He really has two jobs. One with a private defense contractor company and the other in the Navy Reserves. I was very proud to attend his Change of Command ceremony last weekend. It's rare that we get to see our spouses in action (at work). It was lovely to see him in uniform, carrying himself with such grace and exuding leadership. His speeches were eloquent, funny, and well delivered. What a treat! Here we are with his Chief Petty Officer.

The week leading up to this was crazy. The brakes in the trucks failed while I was driving (we are all fine) and I had to do the mechanic thing. The next day, I locked my sweet puppy and my keys in the car. Huge thank you to the lady who used her AAA to save me and the Dad of I's classmate who drove my son to basketball practice. The next day, to travel to the Change of Command, my Hubby rented us a car from Enterprise. I showed up at 12:10 not knowing that they closed at noon. Needless to say, there were tears. But all was well.

2. I've completed a full draft of my novel. I missed the JONOWRIMO check in, but happy to have reached this milestone. Of course, now I turn around and start to revise: put in, take out, look for emotional distance, inconsistencies, character arc, adult word choice. Someday. Someday.

3. I turn in Packet Five today. This is my last packet for the first semester of my Vermont College experience. It's been-- I don't really know-- arduous? time consuming? enlightening? I can certainly say that I am able to look at my work with a more critical eye than before this semester. I write and read all the time. I read more critically than I did before. My critical writing has improved markedly. In my creative work, there is no time for excuses. (Although here I am at 6:30 am blogging, without my last critical essay complete and the packet due today.) I'm really looking forward to being at the residency again. Seeing my cohort group and getting the workshop pages from others to critique. I'll be doing the Picture Book certificate and I'm really looking forward to working with Sarah Ellis and Kathi Appelt. (Time to look for a back support cushion.)

4. My puppy is growing quickly and needs LOTS of love and attention. When Hubby came home Monday (after a week away), I grabbed my computer and books and said, "You are in charge here at home. I'm going to the library." Yesterday he asked me, did I notice that it's really hard to get anything done with the puppy wanting to play all the time? Um....yes.

5. I'm afraid that I failed to post Book Review Wednesday this week. I'm sorry. It's just been too crazy here. I have three authors out there waiting for their reviews and I promise I'll do them over the next few weeks. The new year is coming quickly, if you have a 2010 release and would like to send me a review copy, leave a comment with your email (spell it out so the spambots don't get you.)

Shop Indie Bookstores


The spirit of poetry past comes shining through in My Uncle Emily, a 2009 release from Jane Yolen. We can always depend on Ms. Yolen to deliver a wonderfully crafted story. This one is stellar in its use of lyrical prose to capture the tone of Emily Dickinson's poetry and time period.

Emily Dickinson's nephew, Gilbert, is the child friendly entry point to Ms. Dickinson's poetry. Gilbert wonders about the symbols in his "Uncle Emily's" poetry. Gilbert must share her poetry with his class, but he is afraid the other students won't like or understand it either. When he finally learns to decode her ideas he lights up, "like a lamp."

My Uncle Emily, has clear themes of honesty and peaceful resolution of conflict but none of them are preachy or heavy handed. The actions and reactions of the characters are true to the story and true to life. In fact, Ms. Yolen ends the book with a piece entitled, "What's True About This Story."

Patti Lee Gauch of Philomel is the editor for this beautifully designed book. It is not often that the editor is cited in the front matter. However, Ms. Gauch is well known for her editorial achievements and her own use of lyrical prose in Thunder At Gettysburg one of the first "novels in verse."

Nancy Carpenter, a two time recipient of the Christoper Award, illustrates the book with pen and ink and digital media. The effect is of colorful engravings which perfectly fit the Amherst, Massachusettes setting circa 1881. I was especially enthalled by Ms. Carpenter's use of negative space which frames the illustrations and focuses the reader's attention to particular details. Her lovely muted palette, the patterning and texture, and her gestural line capture the costume, light and formality of the period.

Ms. Yolen's book delightfully treats modern children to the spirit of poets past.

Hope you've had a great week. I'll be back with Book Review Wednesday on December 2nd.

Shop Indie Bookstores

Luper, Eric. Bug Boy. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009.

The crafts people and artists who make up my circle of friends amaze me. I feel lucky and proud to have Eric Luper in this circle. I know that I said I would only review picture books and books for middle grade audiences. I know. But I just finished Eric Luper’s, Bug Boy (which is a Young Adult book) and I couldn’t put it down.

What’s really wonderful about this book is how Eric works the plot arch. First the reader learns to love the protagonist Jack Walsh, a shabby horse exerciser and stable cleaner. He makes Jack’s desires crystal clear and provides the main character with enough know how, personality, and drive to get the job done. The reader routes for Jack 100%.

Next, Eric immerses the reader in the horse racing culture of Saratoga Springs in 1934. From architecture to wardrobe, racing strategy to jockey speak, the historic and racing details are amazing. The reader can hear the sounds of the track: skirts rustling, hooves pounding, bookies gambling-- cigar smoke mixes with whiskey and horse manure. Lovely!

Finally, Eric ratchets up the tension by inserting well-placed obstacles for our hero. The obstacles are physical, psychological, and ethical and force Jack Walsh to make grown up decisions. As the tension mounts (get it, mounts), Eric reveals back story as smoothly as a spider exudes her webbing until he catches the reader on the edge of her seat. At one point of the story, I actually said aloud, “Oh no she didn’t.”

While the book is written for Young Adults I highly recommend it for adults as well. If this book isn’t optioned for a movie in the next few years, I’ll eat my riding helmet.

Shop Indie Bookstores


Dulemba, Elizabeth O. Soap, soap, soap = Jabón, jabón, jabón. McHenry, IL: Raven Tree Press, 2009.

Soap, Soap, Soap, tells the story of Hugo and his trip to fetch soap for his mother from the market. The only problem is that Hugo keeps forgetting what he is supposed to purchase. Soap, Soap, Soap (Jabon, Jabon, Jabon) is Elizabeth’s first picture book as both the author and the illustrator. Raven Tree Press publishes the book in an English only and a Bilingual English/Spanish edition.

I enjoyed the bilingual addition very much and was pleased with how seamlessly the Spanish vocabulary (printed in red) was included in the text. I was actually hoping for more Spanish, perhaps a side by side translation and wonder what the editorial decisions were surrounding this issue.

I had a great time following the main character as he tried to accomplish his mother’s task through Elizabeth's wavy, whimsical town, but I had a hard time believing that the main character would loose his train of thought so quickly. How could someone be so forgetful? However, this past week I have misplaced my keys, and my cell phone, forgotten an oil delivery, and left my wash to mildew for three days. I also had to have my own kiddo repeat, “Get dressed, collect my laundry,” three times this morning. And he still needed to be sent back upstairs to get pants. Hugo’s journey seems more believable now.

Elizabeth Dulemba’s digital illustrations have appeared in trade and educational titles and the SCBWI national bulletin. In Soap, Soap, Soap, Elizabeth creates a wonderful array of diverse and true-to-life characters. Hugo and his friend, Jellybean Jones, are especially animated. I love their expressions as they navigate the mud puddle (charco de barro.) Elizabeth uses her character’s body positions (angle, arm position, and visual balance) to convey their inquisitive attitude wonderfully. Perhaps my favorite image is of Hugo on the back cover hanging on the clothesline after his bath. His body is delightfully relaxed and shows so much movement. Kudos to the designer, I love the details in this book: the text design, the endpapers, the soap bars on the pagination.

Elizabeth is well well known on the blog circuit. She has designed cyber-school "Virtual Visits" so that schools with smaller travel budgets can access guest speakers. Parents and teachers can take advantage of her extensive activities and coloring pages also available on her website and the Raven Tree site.

Whatever you do, make sure that Soap, Soap, Soap is on your holiday shopping list. Don’t forget!

Shop Indie Bookstores

Mercer, Peggy. There Come A Soldier. Illus.Ron Mazellan. New York: Handprint Books, 2007,

Peggy Mercer contacted me last week to suggest her book There Come A Soldier, for Book Review Wednesday. I’m so glad she did.

Peggy’s book tells the story of a father who fights in World War II. He draws his strength from childhood memories growing up in rural Georgia. When he learns to be a paratrooper, he remembers times jumping out of the hayloft “although it took a right smart of coaxing.” When he has to hold “still as a tombstone,” he remembers the time he was treed by a bear.

The author’s regional storytelling voice rings true throughout alternating scenes. In one scene the reader learns about father’s calls to service, training or mission in the military. Next, the author flashes back to Georgia and how father prepared for the service as a boy. The text is longer than what most editors are acquiring these days and I am so glad. The writing is lyrical and at times melancholy. Tension grips the reader in the middle of the book and propels him, along with the alternating flashbacks, towards the conclusion of the story which delivers hope and courage for young readers.

The illustrations by Ron Mazellan are painterly and evocative of Norman Rockwell. I say this with some reluctance. I don’t want you to think that they are campy or photorealistic. Instead, I mean that the reader is treated to an artist skilled in the human figure and portraiture. The painter’s signature technique is the use of white to dapple and fog portions of the images creating movement and emotion. Mazellan uses the darkest values to contrast with the white, providing depth of space and feeling.

There are no notes about the medium so I’m just giving it my best guess. Originally I thought the images were oil paintings as the under painting peaks through and seems to be mixed wet on wet. However, some of images are more translucent almost like watercolor. In these images the viewer is treated to remnants of the gestural charcoal under drawing. Both acrylics and gouache could be the medium used in this dynamic way.

When she contacted me, Peggy Mercer probably didn’t know that I’m a Navy spouse but that really doesn’t matter. There Come A Soldier is less a book about the military or war and much more a book about the bravery and determination it takes to serve. At the core of any service is a love and respect for nation.  This book is about how our past friendships, connections, and experiences are forged out of sturdy stuff. How these links encircle us for our whole lives. As we approach Thanksgiving, this book is an excellent discussion starter of what we are thankful for and how we can serve others.

This has been a busy week so I guess we'll get right down to it:
1. I went to the Yarmouth Art Festival opening last night and was amazed by the showing. St. Bartholomew's church in Yarmouth was packed with art lovers. The show will be up through Saturday if you'd like to see it. Also, you can preview the works in the online catalog.
2. I had a great visit with my parents who came up to leaf peep this past week. They enjoyed the maples and the grandchildren and gave hubby and I chance to go out on the town for our...
3. Sixteenth Anniversary! Every year is better than the last. How long have you been married?
4. My son I. tried out for travel basketball and didn't make it. There were enough kiddos there for two teams but they could only have one. It got me thinking that the kids who DID make it, are automatically the Varsity team for highschool. That's it. Decided in 5th grade. The kids who made the team get better coaching, a team with more skillful  team members to learn from, and more experience with challenging games. Of course the 5th grade travel team becomes the 6th grade travel team, and the A-team in Jr. High and then high school. What a shame we don't give all kids the chance to succeed. (This sports situation is of course true for music and academics as well.)
5. I did not get an interview for the teaching job I applied for.
6. Had to ask for an extension on my MFA packet because things have been so busy. Must complete.
7. If you have a MG or Picture book fiction or nonfiction) coming out this year, I'd love to review it. Tell me in the comments or contact me at anna at annajboll.com
8. Must work on image for the Maine Illustrators' Collective Classics Reimagined show!
9.Brrr... I think winter is right around the corner. Windy and cold enough to turn on the heat.
10. Looking at puppies.

Shop Indie Bookstores

Judge, Lita. Pennies for Elephants. Hyperion. New York, 2009.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you that Lita Judge is a dear friend who I met when she was just starting in the world of children’s book illustration. In the following years, she illustrated covers, and picture books written by others. Most recently she has had a string of amazing, award winning picture books published (see awards listed here) that she both wrote and illustrated. Lita comes from a background of fine art which is crystal clear from her command of color and composition. She also comes from a science background and knows how to research a subject. Pennies for Elephants, shows-off Lita’s command of research and painting technique.

Pennies for Elephants is based on the true story of the children of Boston in 1914 who purchased three elephants for the Franklin Park Zoo. The story follows Dorothy and her brother Henry who earn and save pennies, nickels, and dimes to help make the purchase of the elephants a reality.

One of the most interesting editorial and design decisions for the book is the use of newspaper clippings to update the reader on the fundraising developments and provide information about the sale of the three elephants. These bits of newspaper are masterfully painted gray scale reproductions of the Boston Post by the author. This is where Lita’s research really shines. The newspaper clippings throughout the book and on the endpapers contain wonderful old ads (Children’s 49¢ rompers at 29¢, The Grant Car $495) that pull us right into Boston at the turn of the century.

The reader is immersed in setting and mood through the vibrant full color watercolors of Dorothy, Henry and their neighbors as they navigate Boston and the purchase of the elephants. I know that as reference for the people, Lita had a costume party for local kids in her New Hampshire community. The cityscapes reveal Lita’s research of clothing, style, automobiles and transportation, economics, and architecture.

The prose, told from Dorothy’s point of view is well written and engaging. While the text in the news clippings adds to the content, I found that while reading the book aloud, the clippings sometimes hindered the flow of the story.

The book recently received the 2009 New Hampshire Literary Awards as an Outstanding Work of Children’s Literature. Pennies for Elephants, like Lita’s One Thousand Tracings, and the newly released Yellowstone Moran, is a wonderful example of a literary nonfiction for children. Teachers and parents should make sure to visit the Pennies for Elephants webpage with young readers for wonderful activities, a book trailer with a Scott Joplin soundtrack, and old photographs from the era.

Thank you for such wonderful book, Lita!