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It's highly gratifying to know that something I wrote has brought such pleasure to someone else. While I would love it if there was such an enthusiastic response to one of my stories, it's nice to know that my critical writing is being used for good! So yes, I will print this out and keep it safe with the fan letters I got when "The Golden Lion" appeared in Cricket.

But I think it's safe to say that there will be no appreciative missives from Joyce Carol Oates, after what I wrote about her book. I always try to review from a position of honesty, and if a book is rubbish, I try to offer concrete evidence as to why I think is belongs in the bin rather than the stacks. The same with a favorable review. If I'm going to gush, I gush responsibly!

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I recently had the opportunity to interview Catherine Ipcizade (pronounced ip-chi-zah-deh), author of recently released 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day, a very cute book written in verse adapted from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Read my review here.




Thanks, Catherine, for taking the time to talk!

What inspired you to write 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day?
A few things actually inspired me to write the book. Watching my own kids and the kids in my son's classroom "eat up" information about animals was exciting. They'd pick up any book that had an animal on the cover and devour it. But I quickly realized books fell into one of two categories--either they were exaggerated fiction or they were strictly non-fiction. All too often, the kids would pick up a book expecting one thing and be disappointed with too much "over their head" information. So I decided to do something a little different--to put a clever twist on non-fiction and to create a factually correct but entertaining book about animals. Sylvan Dell was the perfect publisher for the book because their books inform while entertaining.


Do you have a favorite zoo animal or a favorite zoo? Did you use a specific zoo(s) for inspiration when writing 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day?
Ooh! Good question! I DO have a favorite zoo animal--giraffes! I've learned so much about them. For example, did you that giraffes have slimy, blue tongues that can reach 18 inches in length? And did you know that one the reasons their tongues are blue is to prevent them from getting a sunburn, since they spend so many hours eating each day? :)

In answer to your zoo question, I love all zoos. I think, no matter how big or small they are, they all have something special to offer and teach us. However, in my own area, I love the San Diego Zoo. You can't beat the setting and the wide array of animals. In some way, all the zoos I've visited throughout the my lifetime (San Diego Zoo, Orange County Zoo, Santa Ana Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, etc) provided inspiration for the book. All you have to do is take a walk around the zoo or take the tram tour and you'll see amazing things--lazy rhinos "tanning n the sun," monkeys hanging every which way, zebras in groups, appearing to "talk," etc. Once, at the San Diego Zoo, we passed a group of monkeys frolicking in the grass. One mother monkey was holding her baby and looking at the tram in this, "stay away, folks" kind of way. It reminded me that all creatures protect their young...and that message found its way into 'Twas the Day Before Zoo Day!


What was your first impression of the illustrations when you first saw them?












I adored the illustrations from the start. I had envisioned bright, bold illustrations for this book, and Ben Hodson couldn't have done a more amazing job. I was particularly amazed with the animal facial expressions--he captured the essence of the story flawlessly and added such clever twists to the text!




What do you love about writing? What is it about children's books you love?
I love writing because I loved reading. As a child, I read everything I could get my hands on--I'd even sneak hardware catalogs out of the Sunday paper and read them under my covers at night with a flashlight when I couldn't find anything else--it's true! Personally, I love to write because it's a creative release for my soul. I love writing children's books because they allow children to imagine themselves somewhere else, with character like themselves or completely different than themselves. Children's books are magical--writing them allows me to remember what it's like to be a kid, to imagine without boundaries.


What authors and/or books have influenced you the most?
When I was a kid myself, I couldn't get enough of Dr. Seuss. I must have read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish about a million times. In elementary school, I loved the Serendipity books, and those little Beatrix Potter books. As I got older, I became entranced with Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. And Judy Blume books! Oh, I devoured them every chance I got--brilliant! All decidedly different, these books had one thing in common--they reached me somehow, on some level, enough that they somehow became a part of me.


When you're not writing, what can we find you doing?
Besides writing, I'm the mom to two lovely kids, ages seven and four. I'm also back in school, working toward my Master's Degree in Education. In my spare time, you'll often find me with my camera, taking lots and lots of pictures, or in my kitchen--this writer LOVES to cook!


What can we expect to see from you next?
Ooh, lots of things are in the works. I just had three books released from Capstone Press (African Animals: Giraffes; African Animals: Lions ; African Animals: Zebras), which were a lot of fun to write. I'm currently submitting a picture book about a mischievous elf in a library and switching genres a bit to work on a novel-in-verse for middle-grade readers. I'm also working on some greeting cards for the adult market--the life of a writer is never dull!

Thanks for hosting me. It's been wonderful "chatting" with you.


No, thank YOU Catherine, and best wishes!

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I think the late Steve Irwin and now his daughter Bindi Sue have turned a lot of kids (and adults) onto Australia and its wildlife, so Kersplatypus will appeal to many young children, and they’ll be into learning even more about Australia.

The folks at Sylvan Dell have developed a wealth of learning activities in a variety of subject areas (math, science, language arts, etc.) and more to help you expand upon Kersplatypus. In fact, they have this with every book, which I think is wonderful.

First, in the back of Kersplatypus, they have a “For Creative Minds Section,” that offers expansion activities such as platypus facts, and discussion questions about bullies. This section is even available in pdf format online that you can print out and duplicate.

Second, they offer a comprehensive guide chock full of teaching activities that can help you discuss the book and teach more about Australia. There are language arts, science, math, research and geography, and character activities.

Third, they offer a wealth of learning links where you and your child can go online to learn more about Australia and its animals.

Next, you can go online and listen to each published book in audio format. Kersplatypus is not available yet.

Sylvan Dell also offers online comprehension quizzes teachers can use to test reading comprehension.

Finally, Sylvan Dell offers a variety of ideas for craft activities for your budding artists.

Finally,

In an effort to continue developing our Teaching Activities section we encourage teachers, parents and librarians to submit additional activities to go with any Sylvan Dell title. Please e-mail [email protected] for further information and/or submissions. If accepted, we will send you two free books as a "thank you."

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Kersplatypus by Susan K. Mitchell, illustrated by Sherry Rogers

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (February 10, 2008)

On February 10th, Sylvan Dell is bringing us Kersplatypus, the story of a creature who appears in the Australian Outback after the big rains. The other animals, including Kookaburra, Wallaby, and Blue-Tongued Skink among many other animals indigenous to the Outback, have never seen a creature this before and have no idea what he is. Even the poor creature himself doesn't know, so they all set upon a mission to help him discover where he belongs. They first lead him to a tree, which he attempts to climb but falls down with a KERSPLAT! Determined to help him find his place, the animals go through a number of similar scenarios until, with the help of wise, old Bandicoot, he finally figures it out.

Susan K. Mitchell does an excellent job with characterization. Brushtail Possum is the nurturer of the group as she is the first to help the creature, and mischievous Blue-Tongued Skink reminds me of my little brother. We get a clear picture of his personality early on in the story when he first sees the creature, " 'You're the craziest looking thing I've ever seen,'… 'What are you supposed to be?'" Mitchell also does a great job of giving young readers interesting facts about Australian wildlife through her story without making it seem like they're being taught a lesson. Through the creature's attempts to find where he belongs, readers learn that possums live in trees, kookaburras fly, wallabies bounce high in the air, and much more.

Sherry Rogers' vivid and detailed illustrations perfectly complement the story and bring the characters to life. One of my favorite illustrations is the scene where Wallaby is bouncing in the air. Blue-Tongued Skink is lying on a rock, hands under his chin, with a grin on his face just waiting to see the creature go KERSPLAT!

Children, teachers, and parents will also enjoy the "For Creative Minds" section in the back of the book where there are a number of activities including more fun facts about the platypus and much more. Also, be sure to visit Sylvan Dell's website where you can find a multitude of learning links to learn even more about Australia and its creatures.

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The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell, illustrated by Connie McLennan

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (April 30, 2007)

“On the ground, there fell a seed…the fluffiest seed that you ever did see…”

From that fluffy seed grows a tall Kapok tree, and in that tree grows a cat, and near the cat there was a vine…sound familiar? The Rainforest Grew All Around is based on the children’s song, “The Green Grass Grew All Around.” Through this song, we get a glimpse of the rainforest’s eco-system and see how everything is interconnected. Readers are introduced to a variety of rainforest plants and animals including a jaguar, an emerald tree boa, a sloth, and many many more.

On the sidebars of each two-page spread, readers can learn more about the plant or animal featured in that spread’s song; for example, “Sloths hang upside down in the trees and move very slowly.” Connie McLennan’s illustrations are vivid and detailed, and children will delight in finding the hidden rainforest insects within the book.

With very light messaging, children will have fun and simultaneously learn to respect and appreciate the rainforest and all of its creatures. The back of the book has expansion activities “For Creative Minds” and even a recipe for rainforest cookies. In addition, Sylvan Dell has a comprehensive list of teaching activities and learning links on their website. I highly recommend this book for any school or home library.

Note: Susan K. Mitchell's newest book, Kersplatypus, is being released on February 10th. Look for my review soon.

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This guy definitely has the blues!

From Kersplatypus written by Susan K. Mitchell
Published by Sylvan Dell Publishing
Illustrated by Sherry L Rogers

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This is a double page spread from Burro's Tortillas which just came out this year in June. It was published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, written by Terri Fields, illustrated by Me!!


Have a great weekend!

You can click on the illustration to make it larger.

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What do Junior Rangers, scientific facts, children’s books and military service have in common?

On this edition of Just One More Book, Lee German talks about the origins of Sylvan Dell Publishing, what makes their books unique, and how his wife provided the motivation and his military service the skills to become a children’s book publisher.

Participate in the conversation by leaving a comment on this interview, or send an email to [email protected].

Photo: SylvanDellPublishing.com

Tags:childrens books, Lee German, Sylvan Dell Publishingchildrens books, Lee German, Sylvan Dell Publishing

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Here’s an exciting new book from Sylvan Dell Publishing - written by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Connie McLennan.

Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song The Green Grass Grew All Around. The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Search each page to find rainforest bugs and butterflies hiding in the illustrations.

Connie McLennan Picture Books rain forest Susan K. Mitchell Sylvan Dell PublishingConnie McLennan Picture Books rain forest Susan K. Mitchell Sylvan Dell PublishingConnie McLennan, Picture Books, rain forest, Susan K. Mitchell, Sylvan Dell Publishing

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