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By Gladys Elizabeth Barbieri
Victor Villaseñor getting read to sign his books.
The Los Angeles Latino Book and Family Festival took place last Saturday, 11-01-14, at East Los Angeles College. Even though the weather was chilly by LA standards, many came to check out this fantastic cultural and family event. I was excited to partake in a Q&A session with noteworthy children’s authors, René Colato Laínez and James Luna, as well as other indie authors like myself. René Colato Laínez shared he was celebrating ten successful years as a published children’s author. I’ve read many of his picture books and I use them often in my classroom. I even bought a copy of his latest, Señor Pancho Had a Rancho, a fun twist on Old McDonald Had A Farm with a Latino flair.
Books Written by René Colato Laínez
James Luna has written two picture books and both have been well received. The Runaway Piggy also received the Tejas Star Book Award – Wow! The coolest thing about meeting these two successful children’s authors is that they are both teachers and have over 20 years of teaching experience. Imagine how amazing it must be to be a student in their classrooms. I would love to be a fly on the wall to see how they motivate their students during Writer’s Workshop.
After the Q & A I got to sell and sign alongside these two gentlemen. The author sitting to the left of me, Juan Villegas, shared that he couldn’t believe he was sitting next to the Victor Villaseñor, a Mexican-American writer, best known for the New York Times bestseller novel Rain of Gold. I giggled because I understood what he meant. Juan and I looked at the super long line of fans waiting to meet and have their book signed by Victor Villaseñor because we were more than happy to sell a few books. And in just one hour Victor Villaseñor sold out boxes and boxes of books. I then discreetly pointed to René and James who were sitting to the right of me and said, “I hear you. Those two are the real deal in Latino Children’s Publishing.”
Malín Alegría, James Luna, René Colato Laínez
I also had the pleasure of meeting Malín Alegría, an established Latina YA author who’s written a bunch of books as well – like the Border Townseries. And while we newbies sat amidst these established and recognized authors, I noticed how humble and unassuming they all were. They didn’t once mention any of the accolades their books had received. They didn’t bring an entourage or display a lavish signing area. It was just them, their books and a pen for signing. But what they did bring to the book festival was an ernest desire to encourage others about the power of telling one’s own story, of writing it and sharing it. <!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Getting an 'idea' for a story is the 'easy' part. Making it work requires a bit more thinking, planning, experimenting, running in to walls, flying over walls. What's that quote about perspiration as opposed to inspiration?
The story I am working on at the moment is so simple. There's a problem, (which most story's are about) and there is a solution. There is no point where we are in suspense. Hmmm... Now that I wrote that, I think that's a problem in itself. If our character has nothing at stake, it's hard to care if they succeed. It's one thing to create a character we like and care about, but if there is a problem, it can't just 'be solved', period, the end. There needs to be some tension.
I started out writing this entry this morning in an effort to map out the story arc for the piece I am currently working on. Now that I have had a chance to step back and evaluate what I am doing, I can see, I'm not ready to lay it all out yet. More tweaking!
Adios for now.
Barney
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By:
Shutta Crum,
on 9/10/2010
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Thomas and the Dragon Queen is making a tour of blogs about children’s books this month. In honor of that, I’ve decided to give away an autographed copy to a reader at random. Just leave your name and an email address where I can reach you, if you win, by midnight October 12th. Kids: If you are under 13 years of age, please get a parent or guardian’s permission to enter the contest. To enter: click here or on the hand below:
NOTE: You MUST be over 13 years of age, or have a parent’s permission if you are not. And I will randomly select a winner on Oct. 13th.
Good luck, all!
Shutta Crum
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Reading is an extremely important activity in any child’s life; it enables parents to spend quality time with their children and books are an excellent means of teaching young people new vocabulary. Of course, with such a wide selection of books for children on the market, it can be very difficult for parents to identify which will be best for their child’s development. There is one new range of activity books that are both fun and educational. They aim to teach children the importance of healthy eating by enabling them to grow their own vegetables.
The books in the Secret Seed Society range are set in Seed City and follow stories about the adventurous individuals that live there. The books aim to take children on a journey from plant to plate, with each book containing a packet of organic seeds, growing instructions and a tasty recipe. The Mighty Messenger and No Hens In The Pen are just two of the books currently available in the range.
Children between the ages of 3 and 7 can really get their hands dirty by learning how to grow their own vegetables, with or without the aid of their parents. They can then learn to follow recipes, by using the vegetables that they have grown to create a meal for the whole family.
The Secret Seed Society isn’t just about books; there is an entire world ready for children to explore on their website. By joining the online club, children can take part in seasonal missions, learn more about growing fruit and vegetables and enter competitions.
To learn more about the educational books for children available from these publishers, feel free to browse their website. Books can be purchased easily through their website and signing up to the online club is absolutely free. Start your journey today!
Reading is an extremely important activity in any child’s life; it enables parents to spend quality time with their children and books are an excellent means of teaching young people new vocabulary. Of course, with such a wide selection of books for children on the market, it can be very difficult for parents to identify which will be best for their child’s development. There is one new range of activity books that are both fun and educational. They aim to teach children the importance of healthy eating by enabling them to grow their own vegetables.
The books in the Secret Seed Society range are set in Seed City and follow stories about the adventurous individuals that live there. The books aim to take children on a journey from plant to plate, with each book containing a packet of organic seeds, growing instructions and a tasty recipe. The Mighty Messenger and No Hens In The Pen are just two of the books currently available in the range.
Children between the ages of 3 and 7 can really get their hands dirty by learning how to grow their own vegetables, with or without the aid of their parents. They can then learn to follow recipes, by using the vegetables that they have grown to create a meal for the whole family.
The Secret Seed Society isn’t just about books; there is an entire world ready for children to explore on their website. By joining the online club, children can take part in seasonal missions, learn more about growing fruit and vegetables and enter competitions.
To learn more about the educational books for children available from these publishers, feel free to browse their website. Books can be purchased easily through their website and signing up to the online club is absolutely free. Start your journey today!
Honesville PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2010.
ISBN: 1-59078-385-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-385-6
Michael Sedano
Two recent Los Angeles Times columns by the paper’s book blogger Carolyn Kellogg talk about the fast-disappearing publisher-sponsored author book tour, and new ways authors are solving the marketing challenge of helping a book find its audience.
The Times article observes how “name” authors have little difficulty getting tours, hotel stays, and large audiences. But for every big time author there are dozens of non marquee gente, quality writers who, once discovered, get onto the radar of a loyal cadre of followers, but never seem to catch the big bucks, splashy market, break. And it’s getting all the more difficult.
As the business of publishing changes, book tours increasingly look like bad risks. "In 99.9% of cases," says Peter Miller, director of publicity at Bloomsbury USA, "you can't justify the costs through regular book sales."
Kellogg illustrates one self-funded tour that drained $2500 from the pockets of a married pair of authors who hit the road with no assurance of finding an audience when they set up shop.
That expensive itinerary is not the exception, nor exceptional. Prospects generally appear dismal. Print media are closing down book sections, indeed, bookstores are shuttering with alarming frequency. I see faint hope in states taxing internet sales like Amazon, perhaps awarding a meagre competitive advantage to local brick and mortar booksellers. On a more concretely positive note, technology fills some of the need via webposted video that brings eye and ear into play via the interposed medium, or "virtual book tours".
Bloguero René Colato Laínez, author of several bilingual children’s picture books is one of those niche market writers with a strong following but not necessarily a big bucks market. René’s recently published, “My Shoes and I” addresses that book tour conundrum. He’s adopted the “Virtual Book Tour,” strategy, coordinating cyber appearances on a variety of book and reader-devoted blogs.
A Virtual Book Tour is an inspired idea, albeit with a major drawback—text-heavy blogs mean an absence of face-to-face contact between reader and writers. It’s a keen disadvantage.
As Kellogg illustrates, a name like T. C. Boyle puts on a performance that is its own reward for author and audience. Kellogg quotes Boyle sayi
Written by Amy Costales
Illustrated by Elaine Jerome
*Reading level: Ages 4-8
*Hardcover: 32 pages
*Publisher: Piñata Books/Arte Público Press (October 2009)
*Language: Bilingual English/Spanish
*ISBN-13: 978-1-55885-520-5
My cousin Pepe combs my hair back just like his, and Aunt Pilar laughs. Then she slides her red lipstick across my lips, but Mamá wipes it off because I’m too young. Mamá puts on her new jeans, and Aunt Pilar polishes her high heels. Uncle Armando finishes washing his old car.Thus begins a family’s journey to Fourth Street. A little girl and her two cousins eat mangos, long for new boots, ride the carousel, get hair cuts and buy groceries on a family excursion to the center of Santa Ana, California. The cousins enjoy treats, a loving family and lots of excitement, even if nobody gets new boots. The journey ends with the sleepy girl’s last thoughts as she is being tucked into bed next to her cousins:
I know that once I outgrow my boots, I may not get the red ones with the fringe and the silver tips. I know that I may not get a new bike. But what I do have is an uncle who will carry me and my sleepy cousins to bed. I have an aunt who lets me pretend to be grown-up. I have a mother who tells me stories at night. And I have my cousins Pepe and Edgar beside me to share every Sunday on Fourth Street.From the author:
Several years ago, when I sent my first manuscript to a publisher, I got a hand-written note, suggesting I write a story about Día de Los Muertos or Cinco de Mayo. Hungry for an acceptance letter, I really tried to write those books, but it didn’t work. Those weren’t the stories in my heart. I wanted to write about every day, not holidays. My efforts of write a story about my dead grandmother turned into my second book,
Abuelita Full of Life. As for the Cinco de Mayo book, well, I set it in Santa Ana, but I couldn’t get away from memories of my daughter and her two cousins on Sunday excursions to Fourth Street. I ended up celebrating, not a holiday, but two things important to me; extended family and every day life on Fourth Street. It was bitter-sweet writing this book. My nephews, who spent almost their whole lives in California, had just been deported to Mexico. Edgar is working with his dad near Toluca, Pepe is in university in Tampico, and Kelsey is in university in Oregon.
From the publisher:
A young girl enjoys her family's weekly trip to Fourth Street, where she and her cousins eat mangos and tacos, look at clothes and shoes, watch all the people on the busy street and take care of such chores as haircuts and grocery shopping.
Based on real-life visits to Fourth Street in Santa Ana, California, author Amy Costales has written a story that pays homage to a special street and—more importantly—time spent with loved ones. Paired with Elaine Jerome’s colorful illustrations that depict lively street scenes, readers of all ages will enjoy Sundays on Fourth Street.
Amy Costales grew up in Spain and on the U.S.-Mexico border. She has taught Spanish in California, Thailand, India and Oregon and completed an M.A. in Spanish literature at the University of Oregon. Her daughter Kelsey and nephews Pepe and Edgar spent many Sundays of their childhood on Fourth Street in Santa Ana, California. After spending most of their lives in California, Pepe and Edgar were deported to Mexico with their parents. Kelsey and her cousins are separated by the border, but memories of Fourth Street live on. Today Amy lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her family. This is her fourth picture book. To learn more about the author, visit www.amycostales.comElaine Jerome grew up with a love of travel after living in both Hong Kong and New York as a child. She has a background in both art and science, and finds illustrating for children a field that unifies her past experiences. She is the illustrator of The Woodcutter's Gift / El regalo del leñador (Piñata Books, 2007). Elaine currently resides in Lake Tahoe, where she and her husband enjoy snowboarding together. To see more of Elaine's work, visit www.jeromeillustration.com.
Most of us take the public library for granted. It’s just THERE whenever we need it. But, for readers in a remote region of Africa, the library comes to them via camel.
The Camel Library began operating in October 1996. The bush where the camels go is otherwise impassable. These days, 12 camels (and librarians) make their way through the bush to four settlements every day, four days a week.
Now that’s dedication!
The Camel Library needs more books, and the National Writing for Children Center is going to see that they get them.
Every month we will send books that we have received for review (after the reviews are written, of course). Suzanne Lieurance will also send the books she receives from authors who are her guests on her weekday afternoon talk show, Book Bites for Kids.
If you’re a children’s author or illustration and would like to have your book reviewed by the National Writing for Children Center - and know that the book will eventually find its way halfway around the world for children who might never have a chance to read it otherwise - send your book(s) via regular mail (since UPS will NOT deliver to a p.o. box) to:
The National Writing for Children Center
P.O. Box 8422
Kansas City, Missouri 64114
Book Bites for Kids,
books for children,
Camel Library,
donating books,
National Writing for Children Center
I was having a hard time deciding which book to feature on this week's Illustrated Monday until I read a column, in The Horn Book Magazine, about reissues.
Apparently, new versions of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books do not contain Garth Williams's drawings. Neither does his art appear on the covers. Instead, photographs are used.
Also, it seems that you have to pay US$2 more if you want the versions in which Williams' illustrations appear. However, you don't get the original black-and-white pictures: they've all been colourised, which some may prefer. I don't!
A five-in-one book called A Little House Collection (below, left) has also been released. It comprises the first five Little House books (Little House in the Big Woods, Little House On the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake and The Long Winter). I have no idea why they didn't include Little Town on the Prairie and These Happy Golden Years.
Says the columnist Terri Schmitz, "At 618 pages, with a whopping forty-dollar price tag, A Little House Collection is almost impossible to handle, and in order to accommodate all of the text every page is divided into two columns, 
with the art squeezed in willy-nilly. It's a shameful and unnecessary way to treat Mrs Wilder, whose books have given so much pleasure to so many children over the years. Her books deserve better than being reduced into a doorstop." Hear hear!
Anyway, after all that, this week's featured illustrations are by Garth Williams and from the Little House books.
I went to the HarperCollins website to have a look at those new Little House books. Well, what do you think? I say, "TACKY!"
The following illustrations are from the Puffin editions of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, illustrated by Garth Williams (click on the thumbnails for bigger versions of the pictures):
from Dance at Granpa's, pg 88 in Little House in the Big Woods
from The House on the Prairie, pg 50 in Little House on the Prairie
from Runaway, pg 55 in On the Banks of Plum Creek
from Merry Christmas, pg 144 in By the Shores of Silver Lake
from Three Days' Blizzard, pg 81 in The Long Winter (that's Almanzo Wilder frying pancakes. Laura marries him in These Happy Golden Years)
from Working in Town, pg 26 in Little Town on the Prairie
from First Day of School, pg 20 in These Happy Golden Years
In Star Mag's Reads Monthly pullout, I'll be highlighting the books I want on my shelf for that month.
Kinokuniya Bookstores is offering a 25% discount on these books.
If you’re wondering what to invest in for your child’s bookcase this month, read on.
TOTS TO TEENS BY DAPHNE LEE
THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY
By Susan Patron
Illustrated by Matt Phelan
Publisher: Atheneum/ Richard Jackson Books, 144 pages
(ISBN: 978-141-690-1945)
WHEN Lucky’s mother is killed in a freak accident, the little girl’s
errant father asks his ex-wife, Birgitte, to help out. She obliges,
coming all the way from France to care for the child.
But two years later, Lucky is worried that her guardian might be tiring
of life in Hard Pan (population 43), California. Any day now, Birgitte
will leave Lucky in an orphanage and take off back to Europe.
That’s what the 10-year-old thinks anyway, and being practical-minded
as well as a little (and understandably) afraid, she packs a survival
kit and eavesdrops on 12-step-programme meetings in the hope of
learning how to harness a “higher power” that will see her out of her
predicament.
Lucky is daring, curious and determined, a rather unusual heroine whose best friends are boys and favourite subject, science.
The other characters are equally engaging, surprising, even odd, but
thoroughly believable. And the Mojave Desert setting is gorgeously,
vividly described by Patron, while Matt Phelan’s line drawings give
delightful shape to the text.
This quirky, thought-provoking story won the 2007 Newberry Medal.
THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY
By Trenton Lee Stewart; illustrated by Carson Ellis
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers, 485 pages
(ISBN: 978-031-605-7776)
REYNIE, Kate, Sticky and Constance pass a test for “gifted children
looking for special opportunities” and are recruited by the ebullient
and erudite Mr Benedict to work against Mr Curtain, a master criminal
who is using children to help him conquer the world.
This novel stirs the imagination from the first page and I couldn’t
find out fast enough how the four children would handle things.
The kids, from the cocky but kind Kate to the nervous wreck of a
walking dictionary Sticky, are interesting in different ways, but I
found Mr Benedict’s assistants even more fascinating, especially Number
2, who resembles a pencil and suffers from insomnia and constant
hunger!
Reynie and his new friends are plunged deep into danger and adventure
as they attempt to discover Mr Curtain’s secrets and foil his evil
plans, and you will find yourself as involved as you attempt to solve
the clues and puzzles set out before the foursome.
This is a fat book but the exciting plot twists make it a breezy read. I hope Stewart will write a sequel.
THE GAME
By Diana Wynne Jones
Publisher: Puffin Books, 192 pages
(ISBN: 978-014-240-7189)
JUST outside of Earth’s atmosphere lies another world, a fairytale
mythosphere in which magical creatures lurk. This is what Hayley, an
orphan, discovers when she is sent from her grandparents’ home in
London to live with relatives in Ireland.
Hayley’s cousins introduce her to “the game”, in which the players must fulfil certain tasks in the mythosphere.
One day, she meets her parents, trapped in this other world, banished
because their love did not meet with the approval of the family
patriach, Uncle Jolyon.
When Jolyon, sadistic and power-mad, finds out about “the game”, he
goes on the rampage, determined to destroy Hayley and her loved ones.
Diana Wynne Jones is always original and even her use of classical
mythology as the basis of her plot is inventive. This is definitely
another bright star in the DWJ universe.
Here are some of my favourite illustrated children's books. It would take too much space and time to list them all, but I will keep adding to the list.
1. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Illustrated by Ruth Jervis who, coincidentally, was Streatfeild's sister. When she was hired, Streatfeild's publisher had no idea of her connection to the author.
2. The Candlemas Mystery by Ruth M. Arthur
Illustrated by Margery Gill
3. Dido and Pa by Joan Aiken
Illustrated by Pat Marriott
4. Another Lucky Dip by Ruth Ainswroth
Illustrated by Shirley Hughes
5. Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome
Illustrated by Arthur Ransome
6. The Gardens of Dorr by Paul Biegel
Illustrated by Eva-Johanna Rubin
7. Uncle Cleans Up by J. P. Martin
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
8. Minnow on the Say by Philppa Pearce
Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone
9. The Edge of the Cloud by K. M. Peyton
Illustrated by Victor G. Ambrus
10. The Glass Slipper by Eleanor Farjeon
Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
11. The Adventures of Chunky by Leila Berg
Illustrated by George Downs
12. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Illustrated by Garth Williams
13. The Little Book Room by Eleanor Farjeon
Illustrated by Edward Ardizone
14. The Glassblower's Children by Maria Gripe
Illustrated by Harald Gripe
An illustration from The Glassblower's Children.
TOTS TO TEENS
By DAPHNE LEE
I’M happy to see some really nicely illustrated, newly published
children’s books in the stores. I don’t mean picture books, which,
obviously, have to be illustrated, but storybooks, what the Americans
call chapter books.
Once upon a time, most storybooks were illustrated. If you’re in your
30s or 40s (and older) you may remember wonderful books published by
Puffin (always edited by Kay Webb) with black and white drawings.
Probably the most famous illustrated children’s storybooks are Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner.
When I spoke to writer/illustrator John Burningham a few years ago, he
said that the main reason storybooks are no longer illustrated is
because it adds to the cost of production (in terms of printing and
having to pay the illustrator).
He also thought that, somewhere along the line, publishers decided that
children, having made the transition from picture books with minimal
text to full-length books, no longer needed their stories illustrated.
Shirley Hughes, an award-winning illustrator who has worked on both picture books and storybooks, says, in her autobiography, A Life Drawing,
“It is sad that the black and white illustrations once so common in
books for older children are now often cut out and the jump from
full-colour picture books to an unventilated page of solid text is such
an abrupt one.
“We are depriving the child reader of the
intense pleasure of opening books, even penalising them for having
mastered the magic skill of reading”.
Is there anyone who doesn’t love looking at beautiful pictures? I think
even adults would welcome illustrations in the books they read. A
picture is sometimes what is needed to unlock the magic of a book,
pique the reader’s interest, prod his imagination into action, as it
were.
Mervyn Peake’s Gormeghast trilogy features a few black and white line
drawings (by the author) that are, to say the least, intriguing. And
one of the reasons I loved Reader’s Digest Condensed
Books was because they were illustrated. I would pore over the pictures
when I was little. The stories didn’t interest me until much, much
later.
When people complain about wanting to be left alone with
their own ideas of what characters and scenes are like, my response is,
“So you’re saying you have a limited imagination?” This usually leads
to an argument, sometimes rather heated.
Some say the presence of illustrations interfere with the pictures that
pop into their heads when they read a book. They are annoyed when the
artist’s portrayal of a character doesn’t match the author’s
description. Actually, I understand how they feel as that is my
response to movie adaptations of novels.
But somehow, to me, a static drawing, no matter how lively in feel,
never intrudes on one’s imagination in quite the same way as a walking,
talking actor does (ie, Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma and Possession).
Illustrations simply capture moments and interpret emotions. I like to
think of them as reflections of the author’s words. They do not consume
and assume his ideas like bad acting or a miscast actor can.
The next time you’re in a second-hand bookshop, look out for children’s
storybooks published in the 1970s and earlier. Browse through them so
you can choose the ones with illustrations. And look out for
illustrators like Pat Marriott, Shirley Hughes, Peggy Fortnum, Margery
Gill, Garth Williams and Edward Ardizzone.
If you’re shopping for new books, check out The Mysterious Benedict Society (by Trenton Lee Stewart, ISBN: 978-031-605-7776), The Invention of Hugo Cabret (by Brian Selznick, ISBN: 978-043-981-3785), The Valley of Secrets (by Charmian Hussey, ISBN: 978-068-987-8626) and The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs (by Betty G. Birney, ISBN: 978-141-693-4899).
They are just some of the beautifully and imaginatively illustrated
children’s books that are now available. Perhaps publishers are
beginning to realise that most people are never too old or serious for
pictures.
I attended MPH Kidz Club's party for The Cat in the Hat's 50th birthday this afternoon.
Put on the hat and you turn into some sort of psycho, I swear ...
I-Shan gets into the spirit of the Cat ... or maybe it's the Grinch ...
Tots to Teens, Star Mag
11 March 2007
TOTS TO TEENS
By DAPHNE LEE
THE Cat in the Hat turns 50 this year. And I’ll be 40 in April. But I
didn’t grow up with this book or anything else by Dr Seuss. My first
encounter with the author was when I read The Sneetches and Other Stories to my eldest, Elesh.
I admit I was quite surprised. I didn’t quite know what to make of Dr
Seuss’ odd-looking, eccentric characters. Elesh loved them, though.
He would squeal with delight and horror whenever his dad read him the story called What Was I Scared Of?
It’s a tale, in verse, of “a pair of pale green pants with nobody
inside them”. The narrator (one of Dr Seuss’s strange creatures of
indeterminate species) keeps encountering the pants and is terrified of
them. The first time he sees them they’re just standing there,
motionless. And then they move! Elesh used to shriek whenever we came
to this bit. It’s still my favourite story by Dr Seuss.
His
books are a joy to read aloud because of the meter he uses. You don’t
think of it because you’re busy being distracted by his crazy
characters and nonsense words, but Dr Seuss usually wrote in anapestic
tetrameter.
I don’t want to get technical here but the point is, Dr Seuss had
rhythm! When you read a poem and you don’t stumble and it doesn’t sound
clumsy, you know the author has rhythm!
Children (especially very little ones) love it
when the story is written in verse with even, regular beats so that the
words sort of gallop off your tongue and theirs.
Rhythm helps the words stick in their heads too, just as rhymes do. You know, like, 30 days has September, April, June, and November – now you’ll never forget which months have 30 days!
What I didn’t know about Dr Seuss and The Cat in the Hat until recently is that the story is written using just 236 unique words.
Also, of the 236 words, just one has three
syllables, 14 have two and 221 are monosyllabic! As I like to tell my
students: keep it simple. Simple works!
The Cat in the Hat was written in response to a Life magazine
article criticising the boring primers used in schools. In it, the
writer, John Hersey challenged Dr Seuss to write a story “first graders
wouldn’t be able to put down”.
The book was, of course, a huge
success. It was used to supplement school reading programmes, as were
many of the author’s subsequent books.
Today, it’s as popular as ever and is the inspiration for Project 236,
an American literacy initiative organised by Dr Seuss Enterprises,
Random House and First Book, an organisation that provides children
from low income families with new books.
Getting into the spirit of things is MPH Kidz Club, which is organising
a 50th birthday party for the Cat at MPH 1Utama (Petaling Jaya,
Selangor) this afternoon at 2pm. The plan is for some members of the
club to read aloud an excerpt of The Cat in the Hat at 2.36pm!
I’m going to be there and will encourage every adult present (as well
as anyone reading this column) to buy a copy of the book or any Dr
Seuss book (or any children’s book for that matter) and donate it to a children’s charity of his choice.
Maybe you can help start a library at your local orphanage or the
children’s ward at your local hospital. Or you could volunteer to read
to the children at these places.
What I love best about The Cat in the Hat (and
all Dr Seuss stories) is their irreverence and exuberance. Even the odd
characters with their strange quirks are a challenge to think out of
the box and open your imagination to things new and different.
Will the Cat still be swaggering down the book aisles in 50 years’
time? I think he will. As long as children (of all ages) are eager to
take the sort of exciting journey that can only be experienced within
the pages of a good book, they’ll find that the Cat makes an excellent
travelling companion.
January 2006
LOST AND FOUND
Written and Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, 32 pages
ISBN: 0007150369
A little boy finds and befriends a lost penguin and tries to help it find its way home. They journey to the South Pole in a row boat, but the closer they get to their destination, the sadder the little bird seems to get. This sweet tale of friendship is beautifully illustrated using simple, clean shapes and bright, clear colours that light up the page and the heart.
December 2006
Animals Should definitely Not Wear Clothing
By Judi Barrett
Illustrated by Ron Barrett
Publisher: Aladdin, 32 pages
Just think of all the reasons why animals shouldn't wear clothes. The writer and illustrator of this book certainly have! Imagine a sheep in a jumper ... wouldn't it get too hot? How about a hen in trousers ... would it make egg-laying difficult? The upside down opossums are sweet. And the elephant in a dress and hat reminds me of a family friend, which, as the Barretts point out, could be very, very embarrassing ...!
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I"m just taking a class right now, on novel writing, where the teacher advocates not having an outline, but just working with the character and her "issue" and see where it takes you. I find that difficult. Even if the outline or rough sketch changes, I think it's helpful to have some idea where they're headed. So, that being said, I like your idea. Thanks.
Here's the thing. There is no RIGHT way to work. Woody Allen plops himself on his bed and writes his movies on a legal pad. I have another friend who uses a huge dry erase board and charts out the story arc and outlines. I start writing and writing and writing and almost never know where I'm going. On the occasional times when I know the ending early on in the process, my task is to write a story and making the ride interesting. You'll find what works for you.