How to use this Page

                       

Are you hungry, baba?

You've come to the right place! Let's fire up the skillet and cook some lip-smacking, oh-so-yummy, belly-rubbing roti! 


Harry R/flickr

There's so much more to this homey unleavened Indian flatbread than meets the eye (or the stomach). Yes, it's perfect for scooping up curries and vegetables (love love it with dahl), but did you know it also has the power to inspire really good stories? Hunh-ji! Yes Sir!

Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji (Lee & Low Books, 2011) contains all the ingredients I love most in a children's story: food, family, and high octane fun. I can say unequivocally that it's my favorite picture book thus far about contemporary Indian American life. How to blend the old with the new? Find an interesting way to bridge the generations? Introduce young readers to an unfamiliar culture? Lace a story with tasty specifics that tap into universal themes? Debut author F. Zia accomplishes all these things with her beautifully crafted "story within a story" that never misses a beat and is an absolute hoot to read aloud.

Young Aneel is thrilled his grandparents have come to stay. He likes Dadi-ma's fragrant incense and soothing prayer song, and Dada-ji is "teaching him to stand on his head and to sit like a serene lotus." But what he loves most are Dada-ji's stories about the "faraway village with the green wheat fields and the swaying coconut palms."


(click to enlarge)

You see, when Dada-ji was a boy (wink, wink), he astonished the villagers with all manner of amazing feats -- he could wrestle snorting water buffalos, tie hissing cobras into knots, even spin three trumpeting elephants by their tails. Everyone stared in amazement and shouted "Wah! Wah! (Wow! Wow!)." 

And where did Dada-ji get such incredible strength? By eating his mother's hot, hot fluffy-puffy roti, of course! It was SO good, people "trampled tall fields and swam angry rivers" for just one taste or sniff of the bread that sizzled and wizzled on Badi-ma's hot tavva pan. Dada-ji ate a tall stack every day with a side of tongue-burning mango pickle, and this gave him the power of the tiger ("ARRE WAH!").


(click to enlarge)

Telling these tall tales makes Dada-ji's tummy rumble. Aneel wonders, does Dada-ji still have the power? Who can make some roti? Everyone is busy, so Aneel will make it! After combining flour, water and salt, Aneel kneads, punches, pulls, then shapes the dough into balls. He rolls them out and Dadi-ma helps him cook up a tall stack. Wah! How Dada-ji loves A

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is." ~ Bob Dylan

                


Hey, hey! Today is Bob Dylan's 70th birthday!!

We could celebrate by listening to 70 of our favorite Dylan songs, singing "Like a Rolling Stone" seventy times, or by letting out 70 WooHoo's! for this brand new picture book biography, When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan (Little, Brown, 2011). (I vote for all of the above.)

Honey Babe, I was soooooooo excited when I first heard this book was coming out, but disappointed when I couldn't get my hands on a review copy -- until the ever thoughtful and generous Jules of 7-Imp offered to share hers (kiss kiss hug hug love on that beautiful woman). Now, I'm no longer a sad-eyed lady of the lowlands, because I've devoured Gary Golio's wonderful words and pored over Marc Burckhardt's crackerjack illustrations.

Though there are several middle grade Dylan biographies, and two recent picture books illuminating his song lyrics -- Man Gave Names to All the Animals illustrated by Jim Arnosky (Sterling, 2010), and Forever Young illustrated by Paul Rogers (Atheneum, 2008) -- Golio's is the first trade picture book biography featuring the iconic music legend.

       

Even a casual fan knows there are tons of books published about Dylan (latest count: approximately 1000 titles in English), including biographies and retrospectives, songbooks, photo albums, graphic interpretations of his lyrics, collections of articles and interviews, academic analyses of his ouevre by hardcore Dylanologists, even an encyclopedia containing every bit and bob about Bob. And of course, there's Dylan's own critically acclaimed memoir, Chronicles, Volume One (S&S, 2005). So Mr. Golio's task must have been quite daunting, sifting through the available resources and creating a narrative captivating enough to interest young readers who've probably never heard of our favorite Archbishop of Anarchy. And then there's that little matter of Dylan fabricating parts of his life, especially his early years.

In his Author's Note, Golio says:

As a boy, I was always looking for heroes, just as Bob was looking for Woody even before he'd ever heard of him. Babe Ruth, Leonardo da Vinci, Spider-Man, Amelia Earhart, and Harry Houdini -- they were just a few of my inner stars, and I came to them for guidance, hoping to learn more of life's secrets. But it was Bob's search for his guiding star that inspired me to write this book.

So we read about young Bobby Zimmerman of Hibbing, Minnesota, the brilliant blue-eyed boy who taught himself to play the guitar and piano, who stayed up late listening to Hank Williams, Muddy Waters and B.B. King on the radio, who worked in his father's store to earn money for records and an electric guitar. Music was both passion and refuge for the teenager who dreamed of traveling to faraway places and felt more and more like an outsider in his hometown.

Know what would taste really ono right about now?

A big bowl of warm, steamy, soul satisfying saimin!

At this very moment, I'm dreaming of dipping my chopsticks in hot dashi and slurping up some fresh saimin noodles -- just the right firmness, a little curly -- with a bit of char-siu (sweet roast pork), kamaboko (fish cake), fried egg and crunchy wonbok cabbage. See those chopped green onions nestled atop the noodles? I'm gonna scoop them up and slurp again. Mmmmm!


James Rubio/flickr

Saimin is truly "Hawai'i in a bowl," a ubiquitous snack turned main dish inspired by Japanese ramen, Chinese mein, and Filipino pancit. It always, always hits the spot. Now there's a brand new award winning picture book called Plenty Saimin by Feng Feng Hutchins and Adriano Abatayo (Island Paradise Publishing, 2010), a tasty tale sure to satisfy the appetites of diehard saimin lovers and curious foodies.

For his birthday, Ah Kee's mom is making his favorite long-life noodles. On the way to the market, Ah Kee can't quell his excitement nor stem his enthusiastic generosity as he invites friend after friend to share their meal. Ma worries they won't have enough to feed everyone, but Ah Kee can't help but invite whomever they run into. She needn't have worried, since each friend arrives with an ingredient to add to the dish.

   

This deceptively simple stone-soup-like narrative, set in a 1950's rural plantation village, echoes saimin's unique evolution -- a noodle dish containing Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese and Hawaiian elements, informally and spontaneously created by sugarcane and pineapple plantation workers of the early 1900's. Plenty Saimin captures the essence of Island eating, a lively communal event where ethnicities blend, friendships are fostered, and each bite is flavored with captivating talk story.
 

 

Earlier this month, Plenty Saimin won a 2011 Ka Palapala Po'okela Award for Excellence in Children's Literature as well as an Honorable Mention citation for Excellence in Children's Illustrative/Photographic Books. It was also nominated for the Ezra Jack Keats Award and the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. We're thrilled for debut picture book author Feng Feng Hutchins and artist Adriano Abatayo, whose detailed, muted color pencil illustrations gracefully evoke times past when life was simpler, the pace was slower, and people were more attuned to nurturing one another.


Feng and Adriano with publisher Kerry Germain at Native Books launch, Honolulu, HI.

As you can imagine, it was probably quite a thrill to have one's first published children's book garner such glowing accolade

1. Amiable houseguest: our great-nephew Charlie, surely the sweetest, most adorable munchkin in the land, was here over the weekend. To his credit: good looking in PJs, can pronounce my name correctly, puts trash in the bin, likes my bread pudding, eats his veggies, good napper, smiles 99% of the time, likes washing machine buttons. We are presently negotiating his employment here as a duster.
 

          
          Charlie with his dad, Brad. Want one of those monkey bibs.


2. Made an egg custard pie after being inspired by Candice Ransom's guest post about her mom's great baking prowess. Sprinkled extra nutmeg on top just like Candice likes it. Can you say smooth and velvety?



3. Fox sightings! Fuzzy the Fox has a brand new family -- a wife and two kits. One afternoon I spotted one of the babies out and about by himself while everyone else was asleep. Finally captured the rascal playing near the den, which is quite a comfy compound with 3 mounded entrances and an impressive series of underground tunnels. The babies' names: Kit and Kaboodle, of course!




4. Finally got a Kindle. First book I'm reading is Robin Brande's YA novel, Doggirl. Loving it. Think I might subscribe to a few magazines to cut down on the clutter around here.

        

5. Baby bird: Every year, we have a bird's nest in the same corner of our porch roof. The mama bird sat for days on end and finally, little beaks appeared! In a tragic turn of events, one of the nestlings fell out of the nest, but its sibling survived. This jumbo fledgling likely needed more room. Hope Mama makes the nest a little larger next year.



6. More pie! Recently went to Hill High Country Store and scored a divine cherry pie. Bar none, these are some of the best pies around, with crusts so light and flaky your eyes roll back in your head. Definitely worth the hour's drive. Gonna try their peach next time. ☺



Happy Tuesday, All! Whatever's on your agenda, have fun and remember to smile at the next person you see. And eat some pie. One can never have too much pie. Did I mention I like pie?

Copyright © 2011 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

     

I've always been intrigued by this painting of my mother -- wherever we lived in Hawai'i, its constant presence made our house feel like home. I've been trying to learn the real story behind the painting for many years.

     
      Don't be fooled by that shy smile.
 
Apparently, the artist was a G.I. taking a class who got my mom to sit for him. I'd love to know more details, but Margaret has remained pretty mum about the whole thing. I'm glad the artist decided to give her the painting, because now I can gaze at it and imagine my mother's "secret life." Maybe she was a favored courtesan or a Korean Mata Hari :D! She's certainly got the pose down. And it just so happens Mata Hari's real first name was "Margaretha!" Coincidence? Hmmmmmm.

        
            Raising the right arm is spy talk for, "I know where the money is hidden."

All I know is that the glamorous lady in the painting seems so different from the practical, hardworking woman I know who lives in shorts and tee shirts (the perfect cover). One thing hasn't changed -- Margaret's best color is still pink!

Last time we visited, I photographed some of Margaret's flowers and plants. She's always had a green thumb, and there's usually something blooming in her yard year round. Enjoy this little tropical bouquet from Hawai'i, and have a beautiful day!

"I stuck my head out the window this morning and Spring kissed me bang in the face." ~ Langston Hughes


majlee/flickr


Ah, May! The merriest of months is here.

Mmmm, mmmm! But you do get better looking as the days go by. What's your secret? Have you been bathing in dew drops again? Whatever you're doing, let me just say it's really working for you. ☺

The view outside my office window couldn't be more perfect: sun shining through the trees, soft breezes tickling newly opened pale green leaves. We have a bird's nest on our front porch again; after looking through my field guide, I'm guessing it's a catbird. She's a very devoted mother, sitting on those eggs through high winds and rainstorms.


 
All our favorite yard pets are busy with their spring activities: cardinals, bluejays, robins, nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, chickadees, and bluebirds chirping the latest news, happily singing and flitting about; Fuzzy the fox tending to her kits, squirrels up to their usual mischief, deer grooming each other in the back yard, Boxcar the land tortoise wandering onto the street (don't worry, Len rescued him).

Our dogwood trees look especially beautiful this year. The blossoms seem bigger, fuller, whiter . . .

Other things I'm happy about:

THE ROYAL WEDDING

    

Yes, I'm still thinking about it. Loved. Every. Minute. It would have been enough with all the pageantry, funky hats, double KISSES, bright yellow Queen, McVities Chocolate Cake, 1902 Landau, breathtakingly stunning wedding gown, adorable bridesmaids and page boys, moving sea of joyous humanity (admirably controlled by spiffy bobbies) and a hot sister to carry one's train. Would have been more than enough. But for me, this fairytale wedding was also personal, nostalgic, emotional.

   

I just happen to favor weddings in London, having tied the knot there 33 years ago. Everyone wants to believe in fairytales, and this occasion allowed some 2 billion people to celebrate this modern-day love story, a beacon of hope and jubilation in an otherwise uncertain, complicated world.

I've never seen Westminster Abbey look so gloriously beautiful, a marvel of Gothic architecture with its marble columns, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, rose windows and flying buttresses. Once upon a time, I sat in the Abbey choir with Len, my parents and maid of honor for choral evensong. The pure, sweet voices of the boy sopranos, surely touched by angels, brought tears to our eyes. Hearing the Abbey Choir during the wedding ceremony was definitely one of my favorite moments. 



Once upon a time, I stood in Poets Corner, trying to wrap my brain around the fact that Chaucer was actually buried t

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

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

                     

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

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

     

   

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

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

 

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



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

   

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

   

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

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

    

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




                     
                         Happy Reading!

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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



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

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

                                     ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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

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

The Nonfiction Monday Roundup is at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

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

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


photo by sunshinesyrie

Did you know that May is National Strawberry Month?

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

  
     photo by heatherkh

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

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

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


photo by su-lin

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


photo by snapper48

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

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

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

MILLIONS OF STRAWBERRIES
by Genevieve Taggard


photo by Mr.Jaded

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

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



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



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

STRAWBERRY COBBLECAKE



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

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



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

A FEW MORE TIDBITS:

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

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

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

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

       
        Beary berry!              

 

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                    ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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

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

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

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

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


photo by Happy Jack Eats.

Hungry yet?

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

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

They came in little packages, like this:

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       

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

photo by frotos

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

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

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

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

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


photo by Laura Hartrich

Would you perhaps prefer some cauliflower soup with chive blossoms? 

photo by bricolage.108

Or some Flower Power Pizza?

photo by windattack

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

    photo by sweetie pies

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

photo by Dulzura Magica

Thirsty? Help yourself to some flower tea,

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

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

photo by inspiredbyeverything

There now, wasn't that yummy?

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


photo by rootytootoot

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

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

            

To test your Edible Flower IQ, click here.

For a list of edible flowers, click here.

     
      Nibble, nibble!

*Hamster photo from knittingskwerigurl's photostream.
 

Quello quello!

My favorite quack is back!

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

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

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

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

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

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

How do Max and Brody feel about their newfound fame?

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

       
           Max admiring his plush image.

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

        
           Giant plush Max watching TV in his favorite chair.

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

Finally, what are you working on now?

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

    

 

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

    
           Cover image for Sitting Duck.

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

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


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

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

                    


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

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

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

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

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

Hip hip hooray!

*cartwheels* *backflips* *high jumps*

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


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

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

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

    
    Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls

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

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

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

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

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

    

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


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

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

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

LAURA'S GINGERBREAD



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

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

 

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

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

*chest hairs sprouting*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cornelius carefully baited the pole,


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


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


And they are: *drum roll please*

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

*cue in thunderous applause and marching band music*

      

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

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

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

photo by Morgan Rowe

    

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

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

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

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

To read about Small Graces, click here.

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

    

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

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



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

Have fun and happy reading!

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