Book: The Invisible Boy
Author: Trudy Ludwig
Illustrator: Patrice Barton
Pages: 40
Age Range: 5-8
Trudy Ludwig's The Invisible Boy is about a quiet little boy named Brian. Brian is not overtly bullied, but he is made to feel invisible because he is ignored by his classmates. When he reaches out to a new classmate, however, things begin to change, and the invisible boy begins to be seen. I'm not normally a fan of overt issue books, but The Invisible Boy worked for me. Part of this was because I love Patrice Barton's gentle illustrations.
But also, I think, The Invisible Boy worked because I so empathized with (ached for) Brian. He's a real character, not a prop for an issue book. He spends his free time "doing what he loves to do best", drawing. He remains hopeful, even in the presence of the other children's indifference (when they don't pick him for a team, or talk right in front of him about a party he wasn't invited to). And when the other kids make fun of the new boy's Korean lunch, Brian "sits there wondering which is worse--being laughed at or feeling invisible." And he takes action. A small, believable, true-to-his-nature action. It's lovely.
Barton's digitally painted pencil sketches are simply perfect for this story. She shows Brian in gray tones, next to the brighter colors of the other kids. As the new boy responds to Brian's gesture, appreciating him for his art, Brian starts to bloom with a hint of color. And by the end of the book, he's "not so invisible after all."
The other kids form a realistically diverse palette, with Brian's eventual two friends Korean and African American. The kids are all rosy-cheeked and in slightly soft focus, in the same style as the baby in Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale, which Barton also illustrated. Brian's drawings are also realistically rendered - they look like the work of an elementary school boy, with imaginative characters and stereotypical adventure trappings (dragons and pirates).
The Invisible Boy is both heartbreaking and hearwarming. It takes on the situation of quiet kids who are overshadowed by their more attention-seeking peers, and personalizes this via Brian. And what I like best is that Brian takes the first step himself to find a solution, rather than being helped by any external forces. (Teachers may not appreciate the complete lack of help the teacher provides here, but I like to see kids solving the problem in children's books.)
The Invisible Boy will resonate with kids who feel lost in the crowd. And isn't that most of them, sometimes. It might even make the chatty kids who are the ones doing the ignoring think twice about the kids on the fringes. Quite a powerful thing from a picture book. Recommended for school and library purchase.
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (@RandomHouseKids)
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
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© 2013 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
(c) silver secrets
I’m shy. Stop that. I’m serious. I really am shy. Some people won’t believe that because I don’t have trouble talking in front of people (or behind them for that matter). One time I even spoke, then sang a song I wrote, in front about 300 people–while wearing a Viking hat and braids, but that’s a story for another day.
But there’s a difference between speaking to a group (which, on my phobia scale, is much preferred to jumping out of an airplane, thank you), and say, walking up to a group of two or three people at a social gathering and striking up a conversation. I find that much more intimidating.
Being shy and/or introverted isn’t unusual for a writer. We’d rather listen or watch (you never know when you’ll pick up a great line for your next novel). Some people are both shy and introverted, but I don’t think those two come as a boxed set. You can be introverted, but still able to interact socially without Niagara Falls of sweat running off your palms. (I differentiate being an introvert versus an extrovert by how you recharge your batteries–do you need to spend time with people or do you need time alone to feel refreshed. Pretty simple.)
What’s being shy got to do with being a writer? Well, like it or not, being a writer can (and should) involve spending time with other people–either interviewing them, socializing or networking with them or just hanging out because you need human interaction to feel alive. Plus, hanging out with people often provides inspiration for your writing, so there’s that.
Here’s what I want to suggest if you struggle with shyness . . . keep it a secret. Now, when you were a kid, you may have gotten the idea that your last name was “She’s shy,” because that’s what everyone (aka, your mom or big sister) said when they introduced you. But you’re not a kid anymore. The only one who needs to know you’re feeling shy is you. I mean, you don’t walk into the center of a livingroom full of people and announce, “Hey, y’all, I have eczema and IBS!” Please tell me you’re shaking your head. Why would you have to tell anyone you’re shy? You are free to pretend you’re a person of confidence who actually likes talking to people.
And so, the next time you (and I) are headed for a social situation, let’s own our nervousness or insecurity, then stuff it in a sack for the night. You and I can be the person who focuses on putting other people at ease. They will love us for it and we can forget about shy selves already.
One more secret . . . if you can get someone talking about themselves, you can automatically pass “GO” and collect $200. I can almost guarantee it. They will think you’re the most fabulous listener and amazing person, and all you have to do is nod and smile and keep the questions coming. Even something as simple as “So, have you always lived in ______________?” can get a conversation going (and going and going . . .).
What if the person you decide to try to talk to is also shy? Well, then, I suggest you excuse yourself, go to the buffet, load up your plate, find a comfy spot by a potted palm in the corner and spend the rest of the evening in a blissful state of eavesdropping. You think I’m kidding don’t you?
I promise to keep your secret, if you’ll keep mine. And I solemnly promise, if I see you at a party hunkered down by a big plant with a plate of meatballs, I will come up to you and strike up a conversation, after all, I’m not shy. Wink. Wink.
So many people are shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, yet they would open up, unfolding quite wonderfully, if only you were interested in them. ~ Sylvia Plath
There’s a niche for everyone. Deciding what is the right niche is crucial for the writer, because it marks one’s comfort zone and one’s interest. For those who’re shy, who can’t put themselves out for public notice, there are options galore.
One of the greatest confidence boosters for any writer is learning the craft to your very best ability. Take classes, join forums, and join a writer’s group where honest critiques are mandatory for participation. Each of these tactics will add a layer of skin thickener to your ego. The more confidence you can generate, the easier this business will become.
Find a preliminary direction for your writing energies. Experiment with a few genres to see where you feel comfortable working. Some people are born puzzlers. Other writers blossom within the greeting card market and do well developing lines of cards. Still other writers prefer writing magazine articles. More types of non-fiction articles are written each year than a fiction writer can think of in an hour.
If developing stories is your greatest satisfaction, fiction may be your best fit. In many ways, fiction takes in all the abilities of the other types of writing for different aspects of the genre. All fiction, for instance, uses facts about places, or personality types, or history. The reader doesn’t always recognize that fact because of how the story is woven and how much is removed from normal context.
Fiction oozes from a writer’s mind; its job to take a new story flower from a bud to maturity and its seeding, using hundreds of tiny components of reality, weaving fictional weft with non-fiction warp, so tightly, that the reader ultimately wants to live inside the story.
Get over shyness and go for it. For those of us who aren’t comfortable pushing ourselves into the spotlight or don’t like the feeling that we’re standing on a street corner and accosting passing business people, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. As a rule, shy people don’t make for good sales people.
In the writing world, shy gets you nowhere, very fast. I detest having to pitch an idea to an editor. I end up feeling like a used car dealer from the weed lot down the street, whose only claim to fame is that she lived long enough to retire from a real job.
The hardest thing learned in this business may be how to sell your ideas to the one with the checkbook.
Take your best shot. Use your best writing sample for the editor when submitting. Make your approach upbeat and positive. Most of all, believe that you deserve recognition for your work. If you can’t believe in yourself, neither will anyone else.
Know what you can do. Own your abilities. Be proud of them.
If you believe that you have a great idea, submit that idea to the editor in charge. Be specific in your presentation of the idea, and pitch it in such a way that it shows as a benefit to that publication. The worst that could happen is that the editor tells you “NO.”
It happened again! I had everyone seated in front of me at Toddler Time for a story. Two little girls were at the back of the bunch and obviously were favorite playmates. I had started the story when I looked over, and one girl was holding her fingers out to the other girl, informing her "It's a booger." While I tried desperately to concentrate on reading the story without cracking up, the girls had a lively discussion about whatever it was they were inspecting. I heard their moms gasp and snicker, then crawl over to attempt to get them to pay attention. Thankfully the story was short.
Preschool Storytime
We learned about "Transportation" this week, defined as the way you get from here to there. On the flannelboard, we sorted various vehicles into those that go on the road, on tracks, in the water or through the air. We sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck." I just realized I never put the words to the Firetruck song on the blog, so here it is:
Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck
Hurry hurry drive the firetruck.
Hurry hurry drive the firetruck.
Hurry hurry drive the firetruck.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
(Follow the same pattern for the next verses.)
Hurry hurry turn the corner....
Hurry hurry find the fire....
Hurry hurry climb the ladder....
Hurry hurry spray the fire....
Slowly slowly drive the firetruck....
Incidentally, I was challenged by one brilliant boy on that song. He insisted that it should be "spray the water" instead of "spray the fire." Got a good point, there.
Our books were:
Minerva Louise and the Red Truck, by Janet Stoeke. The kids are falling in love with our favorite dumb cluck.
All Aboard the Dinotrain, by Deb Lund. I love the playful words like "dinopush" and "dinomight." Very fun.
Preschool to the Rescue, by Judy Sierra. Sound effects - slurp, plurp, flurp. All those vehicles stuck in the mucky mud!
William the Vehicle King, by Laura P. Newton. I hope the kids got the idea of creating worlds around the house with their vehicles and blocks and toys.
Toddler Time
Many of the toddlers are really getting the hang of how to ask for the noisemakers that we pull out each week. I know it's so exciting when I take the lid off the box of the bells, maracas, pompoms or whatever. They just want to run up and grab whatever they can, which is completely understandable for a two-year-old. Week after week I tell them, "Say 'pink please.'" Then I make sure to praise children loudly who say it properly. Sooner or later a child catches on. Just today a boy who has barely ever said a word gathered up his courage and said, "Gween pweese."
We read:
The Chick and the Duckling, by Mirra Ginsburg. They really got the hang of saying "Me too!" with me this time.
Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails, by Nancy Tafuri. I had a boy guess the bull today! Though maybe he had the book at home recently. He was pretty proud of himself.
Baby Time
We had a good demonstration of emerging shyness today. A little girl was here for the first time and had crawled to the middle of the floor. She looked over at me and I made eye-contact and smiled. She instantly started to cry. That type of thing happens more often than you'd think. I've learned with some super shy children that making eye-contact is just too threatening. Scientists have found that shyness is literally in the DNA, and a parent can't expect a child to "get over it." These little ones need understanding, support and to be taught compensation skills.
Brownie & Pearl Step Out by Cynthia Rylant, illustrations by Brian Biggs
In this simple, charming story, Rylant explores shyness. Brownie, the little girl, and Pearl, her cat, are going to a birthday party that cats are invited to too. Once they are at the door to the party, Brownie starts to feel shy about knocking. Pearl, though, is not shy at all and enters the house by the cat door, forcing Brownie to have to knock and join the party. By the end of the party, full of cake and ice cream and having played lots of games, Brownie is very happy to have come.
Rylant has created the first in another charming pairing. This book is for even younger readers than Henry and Mudge or Mr. Potter and Tabby. The vocabulary is kept limited and there are at most two short sentences on each page, usually as short as four words. Despite these limitations, Rylant has created a charming protagonist. Biggs’ illustrations are done digitally and have a nice warmth to them. The illustrations are simple and friendly for young readers.
Highly recommended, every library needs a copy of this first in Rylant’s new series. I can’t wait to see what adventures Brownie and Pearl head on next. Appropriate for new readers of any age, approximately ages 3-5.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
My husband came home from work today very frustrated and restless. He went to a meeting comprised of approximately 60 business people. There was a microphone for attendees to speak into when they asked or answered a question. Dozens of the 60 attendees did NOT speak loud enough to be heard. Speakers were asked repeatedly to repeat what they had said, louder and more directly into the microphone. How irritating is that?
I realize that some people are not comfortable speaking in public, but this was not a one person presentation. (Obviously I am not shy or I would not be a children’s book author who travels around to schools and uses ridiculous cartoon voices in my presentations in front of hundreds of kids and adults.) But as adults, shouldn’t we be able to literally speak loud enough to be heard? I don’t get it.
I have always been outgoing and used to pray when I was a kid that I could be shy. It never worked. I admire shy people for keeping quiet when I cannot. I always used to think shy people thought I was an idiot for talking too much. But I have had several people explain to me that introverts like to be around extroverts so they don’t have to do the talking themselves. Should I be offended by that?
I am getting off subject here a bit. The bottom line is that if you have something to say, say it loud enough so everyone who is listening can hear it. If you cannot speak up, perhaps it is better to not speak. That seems like a shame to me, since everyone knows something about something and can make the world a better place by sharing that with someone. Are you getting some of this some of the time?
There are organizations that help people get over their fear of speaking like Toastmasters. I have heard a lot of good things about that organization bringing people out of their shells. Check it out if you are one who sweats bullets or get stomach cramps at the thought of speaking into a microphone in front of strangers. If not for yourself than do it for your children. You don’t want them to not be able to be heard, and you’ll be setting a good example.
I hope you heard what I said loud and clear.
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Hey Everyone! thanks for letting me join! Here's my first entry: title of piece= "What brings you solace?"
have a great weekend!
http://thedrawingpad.blogspot.com
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on 1/23/2008
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Joy the Jellyfish has a very serious problem. More than anything, he wants to make friends. But how on earth can he make friends when he's nearly invisible!
He tries to get the attention of the other Great Barrier Reef creatures--Amy Anemone, a school of sea horses, Gantian the Great White Shark, Bogart the Blowfish, Daphne the Dolphin--but because of his near-invisible nature, he's mostly ignored.
"My only wish is to have a friend," says Joy the Jellyfish. Then, as he keeps traveling deeper into the ocean, and the waters become icier and darker, he meets Bella Beluga the Whale, who teaches him the secret of friendship and how friendship itself has nothing to do with his nearly-invisible physical nature. Thanks to Bella, Joy learns how to overcome shyness and make friends. More confident, he swims back to the reef, this time powered with the knowledge of true friendship.
Joy the Jellyfish is a sweet story about friendship and about how to overcome shyness in order to make friends. The prose and dialogue are engaging and the brightly colored illustrations captivating. This is a book that will make a fine, delightful gift to any child, not only because of its beautiful artwork and engaging plot, but also because it teaches the different animals which inhabit the great barrier reefs. This book is the second collaboration between talented illustrator Kevin Scott Scollier and his author wife, Kristen. I hope this book will not be their last and I certainly look forward to more children's picture books from this winning team.
*****
JOY THE JELLYFISH
Written by Kristen Collier
Illustrated by Kevin Collier
Dragonfly Publishing
October 2007
24 pages
Paperback: $12.99
Hardcover: $25
Posted on 6/27/2007
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Kirsty OUP-UK
After ten years as Prime Minister, Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is being succeeded by Gordon Brown. Today I’m taking a look back at Tony Blair’s time at the helm with a little help from the Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations, edited by Antony Jay. Below are some of the best and most recognisable quotes from the last decade or so, as well as a few words about Tony Blair by others including Margaret Thatcher and Jacques Chirac. If there are other quotations you can think of, then please feel free to leave a comment below.
“Labour is the party of law and order in Britain today. Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.”
speech at the annual Labour Party Conference, 30 September 1993, when Blair was Shadow Home Secretary (more…)
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I really appreciate what you said in your work. I am one of those shy writers. Your encouragement though truly did boost me up. I am struggling to keep my confidence, but I believe in my work, and I do believe that I have some talent, but being introverted does have its drawbacks. Thank you for being brave enough to talk about this subject. I really do need more of that.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Gail
You’re welcome, Gail. Not everyone can be a Jackie Collins, who totally enjoys being in front of an audience and cameras, etc. Many just want to play with their words, put together worthwhile stories, and leave the camera hounds to take the limelight.
I’m glad that you found encouragement in my words. Take care and God bless.
Claudsy