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Imagine a world where kindness is the order of the day. Where cynicism is put to one side and a simple innocence is instead allowed to blossom into imaginative storytelling. This is the world of Celestine and the Hare, a place full of gentle adventure, generosity and respect for each other and the world around us.
Three uplifting tales of a band of furry friends form the first books from felt artist and début author Karin Celestine. In Small Finds a Home an act of selflessness is the starting point for a lasting friendship. In Paper Boat for Panda, a friend goes the extra mile to make a dream come true, and in Honey for Tea, the friends find an creative way to show their gratitude for something they love.
A spread from ‘Honey for Tea’
A spread from ‘Paper Boat for Panda’
The delicate, finespun storytelling avoids cloying sentiment (helped by a hint or two of mischief occasionally alluded to). The felted friends exude an enormous amount of charm and – if I can coin a word- cuddlability. Echoes of Bagpuss mingle with reminders off the small world play beloved by many children; the use of favourite toys (whether playmobil, lego or plastic animals) and found objects to set up scenes and scenarios is where many children first and most freely experience themselves as storytellers, and Karin Celestine’s wonderful, life-affirming books encourage us all to keep in touch with and to nurture the playfulness, exploration and hope of childhood. These are books that make the world a better place.
The second part of each Celestine and the Hare book features well-explained and amusingly illustrated instructions for a least one craft project related to the story at hand. These invitations to take the story out of the pages of the book and into the living-breathing lives of readers and listeners naturally appealed enormously to all at Playing by the Book Towers. Thus a happy and relaxed day was spent making, sailing and flying boats and bees – a delightful day, the sort I wish all children (and their grown ups) could share.
A spread from the craft activity pages in ‘Paper Boat for Panda’.
Inspired by Paper Boat for Panda we made a flotilla of paper boats and sailed them down a nearby stream.
On some of our boats we wrote poems for the fish and ducks to enjoy!
We didn’t manage to keep our socks dry, but felt all the more like intrepid explorers for that!
As well as setting our boats on the high seas, we made bees out of alder cones and ash keys, inspired by the craft project in Honey for Tea.
A spread from the craft activity pages of ‘Honey for Tea’
My kids are always happy to have an excuse to climb trees, especially if it’s a means to spreading a bit of joy; the sight of these bees amongst the first blossom of spring certainly made us smile.
Whilst we folder our paper boats and made our bees in preparation for launching them all out into the wide world we listened to:
Other activities which might work well alongside reading these heart-warming stories include:
Capturing your kids’ stories which they tell with their toys – use your camera or phone to take photos, print them off and write the text together. You could even try creating comics together with your kids’ favourite toys, using this helpful how-to guide from Neill Cameron
We have a baby weasel (Ronald Weasely) and a tiny panda from the lovely Celestine and the hare and look forward to the next installment of books. Lovely, life affirming joyful creations
Books for newly fluent independent readers often have great pace (to entice just one more page turn) and lovely characterization (encouraging growing kids to explore their own unfurling wings), but books for this age group with turns of phrases and fine, fine threads of words which make your heart sing are quite unusual.
And yet, Mango & Bambang: Tapir All at Sea written by Polly Faber (@Pollylwh) and illustrated by Clara Vulliamy (@ClaraVulliamy) has all of this, plus buckets more. Illustrated on every spread with immense charm, humour and warmth, and with an overall design to make small hands hug it close to their heart, this little hardback is everything you’d dream of, if trying to come up with something to foster an association of sheer joy and enchantment with books.
Mango Allsorts and her best friend Bambang (a friend who just happens to be a tapir) are looking for a new hobby, and would you believe it, but it turns out that after failures with ballet and baking, flamenco dancing hits the spot.
Bambang, however, doesn’t get the chance to attend many lessons before an escapade involving climbing trees (there’s nothing a tapir can’t do when it comes to snaffling cake), a diamond engagement ring and a devious neighbour result in Bambang being put behind bars, not just once, but twice! Will the friends be able to use Bambang’s new dancing prowess and Mango’s clever problem-solving skills to save the day? Or could it be that their very partnership is put in peril as a result of Bambang’s newly discovered skill?
Joyous, open-hearted and very funny, these tales of Mango and Bambang are simply brilliant. A charismatic exploration of friendship, with a dash of quirkiness and oodles of wit, along with endearing illustrations (reminding me of Joyce Lankester Brisley and her Milly Molly Mandy books) that really draw out the beauty of the stories, Mango & Bambang: Tapir All at Sea is utterly delightful. My girls and I are really hoping that this second set of tales featuring Mango and Bambang won’t be the last.
***********************
If you spend any time at all hanging out with Clara Vulliamy you’ll very quickly learn that she is the Queen of Secret Haberdashery Supplies. I know of no other author or illustrator who has such an eye for beautiful ribbons, notions and buttons. With this in mind the girls and I wanted to create something Mango and Bambang-y which Clara herself (and, of course, Polly too) might enjoy making and thus we came up with the idea of designing flamenco costumes. This quickly developed into puppets of Mango, Bambang and friends all dress up in flamenco finery.
Creating your own Museum of the Unusual. Of course, I wouldn’t encourage you to be as mean as Dr Cynthia Prickly-Posset, but starting a collection of things you find weird and wonderful (without resorting to stealing them from your neighbours!) is a fun idea. Maybe your museum will be full of strange shaped stones, or bizarre things you’ve found down the back of the sofa… If you’re looking for some display ideas for your museum, you might find inspiration in past museums we’ve created here, here and here
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Well this is simply the Best Thing Ever obviously! Thank you Zoe and team for putting an enormous smile on my face, setting my toes tapping and sending me to raid my (rather inadequate in comparison to a *certain* CV’s) ribbon drawer. Delighted to confirm that further adventures for M&B coming in September this year and more in 2017 too I hope. Also, how CLEVER of you to spot the uncanny likeness between Bambang and Joaquin Cortes- he *may* have been quite an essential literary muse…
Zoe said, on 3/17/2016 8:14:00 AM
OH I am SO pleased to hear that there are more adventures in story for Mango and Bambang – we shall look forward to them immensely
Simone Fraser said, on 3/17/2016 3:07:00 PM
Such a glorious, joy-filled post! Thanks so much, yet again, Zoe.
I spent the last few days creating this animation for the About/Contact page on my website. I asked a pal of mine(David Walters) how to avoid collecting spam through my contact page and he suggested CAPTCHA, which is great, but it would have taken me at least a couple weeks to dope it out and get it running right. I never have that kind of time. So instead I decided that it would be really hard for bots to scan and scrape an email address from a moving image, and since I love to draw and animate I went to work.
I used muted colors, and pencil texture (in the pier, and the gull on the piling) to help this piece blend with my illustration style. I should have some artsy-fartsy, fancy pants reason, but I don't. I just really like the look of washed out color, translucent, so you can see the pencil work through it.
I was kind of bummed that the tops of all the buildings on the pier got cropped, but in order to get them close enough to see them, they were too tall for the frame. So Here is a small version of that drawing.
I also sketched some gulls sitting on top of the buildings, but they would have been so small, they would have been confusing. I might go back and add a couple 3D ones in though, so I can move them a little. We'll see.
Here is my original pencil sketch, all I had at first was the idea about the boats. When I put that scene together it looked so sparse, I knew I needed to add some more elements. So I drew the pier, and then built the clouds and the seagulls in 3D. The gulls were fun to animate. I still might add something in the foreground on the right hand side, to give the scene more depth.
I hope you enjoyed this peak behind the scenes. I sure enjoyed creating it. --Ryan
0 Comments on Looping Seaside Animation as of 3/10/2015 1:28:00 AM
October 2013 – we’re in Vancouver, British Columbia. We flew into Vancouver the day before our cruise was scheduled to leave and we spent the day sight seeing. It was a GORGEOUS day and this is one of my favorite pictures.
One. Because there is so much glass! And boats!
Two. Because I think I look pretty good leaning up against that post. Note to self: wear dark clothing – it hides the chunky monkey.
Over the last couple of year’s I’ve read quite a lot about how children’s books with a very specific cultural setting are not favoured by publishers because it is hard to sell rights widely; publishers are keen for “universal” stories which translate (literally and figuratively) well across borders and languages.
Whilst I understand publishers’ drive to maximise sales, I think a great deal is lost if we ignore stories boldly and vividly set in specific and identifiable locations and cultures. Indeed, considering the current drive for increasing diversity in children’s books, I would argue that books which are culture specific have a vital role to play.
And of course, a great book will be “universal” whether or not it is set in a specific time, location or country; enduring stories speak to that which we share whatever our differences.
I have been a fan of Mairi Hedderwick’s books for as long as I can remember. She writes and illustrates rural Scottish island life in a magical way. She captures truths like poetry can in her watercolours of Hebridean life, whilst her stories are full of acute observations about family life that’s more or less the same wherever you are in the world, exploring issues such as sibling rivalry and intergenerational relationships.
The Katie Morag Treasury by Mairi Hedderwick is a glorious book, bringing together a mix of the most popular previously published Katie Morag books and new stories and illustrations first heard and seen on episodes of the highly acclaimed BBC Katie Morag TV show. It really is a treasury, with a range of witty and poignant stories, illustrated in ink and watercolour in a way that invisibly and movingly marries romance and realism.
For kids listening to these stories Katie Morag’s tales act as mirrors; yes she may live in a community vastly unlike the one the young reader or listener lives in, but that only makes it more interesting and reassuring to read that Katie Morag has the same sort of worries, plays the same sorts of games and quarrels with her parents just like they do. Thoughtfulness is a consistent thread in all these stories, and Katie Morag herself is a terrific role model; full of strength and imagination she is not afraid to explore, to try new things, or to be kind.
This is a keeper of a book, one which works well both as a read-aloud, or for children who can read themselves. Indeed the lovely hardback binding makes this ideal for older readers who might not want to be seen reading picture books any more.
Last year when we were holiday in Scotland we collected a stash of shells and sea glass and re-reading these fabulous Katie Morag stories inspired us to get our jars of them out of our natural history museum, and play with them using a home-made light box.
I borrowed one of our large plastic boxes which we normally store lego in, lined it with white tissue paper, and then put a load of fairy lights inside it. With the fairy lights turned on, and all the other lights turned off and curtains drawn we entered something of a soothing world where the girls could then make patterns with the shells and sea glass, with soft light shining through.
If you don’t have any sea glass, you could do this activity with florists’ glass (vase) pebbles instead, making light imbued mosaics.
Music which goes really well with Katie Morag stories (though maybe not with the light box activity as much of it will get you up and dancing) includes:
My favourite radio programme – available worldwide online – Travelling Folk. This is BBC Radio Scotland’s flagship folk programme and it’s full of treats each week.
Arrangements of songs like you’ve never heard before from Billy McIntyre and his All Star Ceilidh Band, who I’d love to hear live because they are just WAY out there…. Pop! goes the Ceilidh is a hysterical album with covers of lots of pop classics (eg Living on a Prayer, Robbie William’s Angels, Billy Idol’s White Wedding) redone with fiddle, accordion and more. It will put a crazy smile on your face.
Anything by Skippinish but especially Land below the Waves that always gives me goosebumps:
I found this an interesting read as the book in my current blogpost, Imani’s Moon’, is set in Africa. Reading this story has given us a glimpse into a completely different country and culture which is not only fascinating for my daughter but for me as well. We also love the Anna Hibiscus books, the fact that they are set in a country that we aren’t familiar with enriches and extends our knowledge and reading experience.
We love the Katie Morag books and I agree with you that regardless of the setting they introduce experiences that are familiar to many children and have a strong emphasis on family life. This looks like a beautiful treasury for a Christmas present
Zoe said, on 11/13/2014 1:25:00 AM
Catherine – yes it would make a very special Christmas present
se7en said, on 11/13/2014 4:23:00 AM
Oh we love and adore Katie Morag… Love… all the way from sunny South Africa. I think we relate to it so well because we also live in a seaside town… so there is lots in common. But a big part of Katie’s appeal is that she does live on a far side of the world in a distant and remote place, everything is so very different. So much the same, we have very similar grannies (!!!) and yet so much is different – my kids have never worn gumboots… and Katie almost always does. I could write all day, we love and adore Katie and hope this collection comes to a publisher near us really soon!!!
Title: Three Bears in a Boat Written and illustrated By: David Soman Published By: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014, Fiction Themes/Topics: boating, bears, adventure Suitable for ages: 3-7 Opening: Once there were three bears, Dash, Charlie and Theo, who lived by the … Continue reading →
It's time for Portugal again. Our dog has improved. My godfather's health is improving. And now I'm ready to return to O Porto. albeit only in memory and in pictures.
For those of you who lost the thread of that journey, on our fall trip to Galicia my husband and I went with friends Terri and David to the old city of Porto, for three days and two nights. Porto is like an aging beauty queen: Despite the make-up and glittery clothing of main streets and the wharf side cafes and shops, you can see the "wrinkles" on back streets. But Porto has an air of grandeur, of lost days of glory still sparkling on tiled walls and statues, on the gleaming waters of the Rio Douro where boats bob on rippling water and reflections of colorful buildings on the far bank shimmer below on the wet surface. Just writing about it brings it all back. You can see why:
A city of statues.
The wharf-side
A back street.
The far bank.
You can scroll back to read the earlier post about our first day there and where we stayed. And also the fabulous restaurant where we ate: O u (which means "the oven"). Also, in the earlier post you can see the lovely tile work of our hotel and the wonderful garden grounds.
The second morning, when we headed out to sightsee, we noticed a school across the street, and several young girls were crowded at the window, waving at us. Then the teacher must have told them to sit down, because a moment after the picture below, they all vanished.
On our way to the wharf, we passed the wine shop you see above, at the beginning of this post, and again below. The owner is from Brazil. The shop was absolutely tiny, with a small bar that would seat four at most, and the shelves were lined with every kind of bottle of wine you could imagine. We stopped by on the way back and enjoyed a glass of port. I am not really a port drinker, but it was good to try. After all, Portugal is the inventor of port.
Rajan photographing the wineshop.
School of curious girls.
On our way up the river.
Once we got to the wharf, we could not resist the call of the river. So we boarded a boat for an hour-long river cruise.
And what wonderful sights we did see! Below are just a few samples.
Leaving the wharf.
I love the woods behind buildings.
A hidden castle in those woods.
So much color!
Awesome bridge for sure.
For every one of these, we have oodles more. It was a splendid sight up and down the river.
A truly grand view.
Two rather interesting boats, we thought.
With the wind rippling against our faces and the smell of freshness surrounding us, once we returned to land, we were hungry. So we ate at a charming little restaurant with great atmosphere at the wharf—its name eludes me, alas.
The restaurant.
Our server.
The atmosphere.
And then we walked around the city some more, before going home. Later, of course, we ventured out to eat a late supper. And then the next morning we left so that we would have time to stop in the city of Tui on the Spanish side of the Rio Minho (Portuguese) or Rio Miño (Spanish). Tui, in Spain, is an old castle town with a huge cathedral, and is across the river from Valença, and old fortress town in Portugal, and that will have to be for another day.
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed this little (and limited) trip to Portugal.
9 Comments on Return to Portugal, last added: 3/4/2013
The photos are beautiful, Elizabeth--and your "tour" is a delightful journey. You always take me to places I'd have never laid eyes upon. Thank you. :-)
Rosi, I'm glad you liked the journey. I know you love Europe.
Rachna, thanks for the good wishes for Cezar. He's better, but he still wobbles when he walks. I think his balance problem is probably permanent. Glad you liked the pictures.
Teresa, glad you like the pictures. Your beautiful photographs affect me the same way. Especially the recent one of the moon shining through bare branches. Stunning!
Julia, glad you enjoyed the pictures. And thanks for the thoughts about my dog and my godfather.
What lovely photographs, my artist husband would be drooling if he saw these! You have a wonderful way of sharing your travels, Elizabeth. Thanks! (Oh, I'm so glad your dog is feeling better!)
4 Stars Chasing Watermelons Kevin White Rex White 32 Pages Ages: 3 to 6 ……………… Press Release: When Duck opens a crate of watermelons for a watermelon feast, they begin to roll. Duck chases after them. One by one, Duck invites Goat, Pig, Chicken, and Cow to join the chase by promising, “If you help, [...]
5 starsAll About Boats: A to Z
David & Zora Aiken
Schiffer Publishing
No. Pages: 32 Ages: 6 to 8
....................
Back Cover: Boating time is family time as everyone often shares both the fun and the work. Even young children are eager to help. Their curiosity is roused and they’ll look for ways to learn more about boating. All About Books: A to Z shows the youngest crew members the purpose of the many things they see while boating. The book can prompt conversations about all aspects of boating as families develop their onboard teamwork.
All About Boats: A to Z is a unique alphabet book. For one, it is written for older children who already know their ABCs. A boating term, beginning with that page’s letter, helps a child learn about boats and boating terms. A rhyming verse explains the term in a light, easy tone. Finally, the illustrations add further explanation of the term.
For example, the letter K’s word is keel.
Most boats have a keel—
It’s part of the design.
A sailboat’s deep keel
Helps hold a straight line.
The illustration for letter K is a sailboat on transparent water, allowing the child to see the keel on the sailboat. This is a great way for anyone to learn something new. The more senses involved, the better the retention.
All About Boats: A to Z uses sight and sound, but in multiple ways. The child will read the letter and its word in bold type. Then they will read a short verse, which rhymes and includes the word’s purpose. Each illustration shows the child where the term is in relation to boating. Assuming the family owns a boat, the child can connect then term with the real thing.
I like the book’s multiple avenues for learning both the alphabet and boating terms. Younger children can use this as an ABC book, especially if interested in boats. All About Boats: A to Z is written for the older child who wants or needs to learn the terms of boating. Each verse helps the child remember the purpose of each word. The important word is in bold type and always in the verse. The illustrations do a wonderful job of capturing the word, while still keeping the book’s feel light and airy, somewhat like boating itself.
I think kids will love to learn about boats by using this book. It is friendly, fun, and familiarizes the child to boats and their functions quickly. A young child, under the age of five or six may not understand all of the terms, even after having the verses read to them and looking at the illustrations. Still, I would not hesitate in giving this ABC book to a youngun (as my fellow book reviewer Erik, called young children in a recent review).
This is a book that can help a child prepare for a boating trip and then reinforce the boating term, part, and function while on the trip. Some adults, not accustom to boating on a regular basis, will learn much from this cute book. T is for transom,* which is the area on the back of the boat, where a boat’s given name is painted. I did not know that.
I like this book. Kids will enjoy the illustrations and learning about boats. I think girls will enjoy this as much as boys. Anyone with children, or grandchildren, who regularly boats, especially if they own a boat, will find this book valuable. Any child who loves boats, be it the large ones sailing the ocean or the small ones sailing the carpet, will want this boat, learn from this boat, and be thrilled to own this book. All About Boats: A to Z is a great book for many reasons—all of them kid friendly.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞♦♦♦♦∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
*One possible game that can be played to reinforce remembering a term, is to find that term on other pages of the book. For example, the term transom, which I did not know until reading this book. There are seven transoms with a name in this book. One boat has its name on its side, so I would think it does not count.
Those seven boats with names, when found by the child, will help reinforce what a transom is for. The last spread is a beautiful scene of all shapes and sizes of boats, yet not one has a name on its transom. This is a missed opportunity for reinforcement of letter T’ and the word transom.
Author: David & Zora Aiken
Illustrator: David Aiken
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing website
Release Date: July 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4184-7
Number of Pages: 32
Ages: 5 to 8
.......................
So many great picture books have passed my desk lately. Here are a few:
Joose, Barbara. 2012. Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats. Ill. by Jan Jutte. New York: Philomel.
Each night, Old Robert counts "his regular things in their regular place"
Clean socks a clock my ship in the slip at the dock. One dish one spoon a slice of the silver moon.
Things are always the same until the night a cat asks to come in. There was no room for a cat on Old Robert's boat,
And yet ... and yet ... Old Robert said yes ... ... and the cat came in.
This is a delightfully, quirky story about Old Robert, his boat, and how one small decision can change a life (or two, or three, or ...). Illustrations by the Netherlands' Jan Jutte, give Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats a salty and silly air reminiscent of old comics (think Popeye or original Tin Tin) touched with whimsy. Comforting, repetitive refrains make this a great read aloud.
There is just something irresistible about Old Robert and the Sea-Silly Cats.
Elya, Susan Middleton. 2012. Fire!¡Fuego! Brave Bomberos. Ill. by Dan Santat.New York: Bloomsbury.
My husband has had a long and wonderful career in the fire department, so I'll admit some partiality to firefighter books, even ones that feature firefighters rescuing cats from trees. For the record, professional firefighters don't rescue cats from trees. They will, however, rescue animals from fires, and in Fire!¡Fuego! Brave Bomberos, a house fire traps a poor kitty on an upper floor,
Climbing up la escalera, KITTY, KITTY, COME AFUERA. Coaxed by food in small pedazos, kitten jumps to outstretched brazos.
See how easy that was? You're speaking Spanish. Even without the brightly colored double spread illustration of a firefighter on a ladder, hand extended with cat treats, you knew what it meant, and kids will too! The story rhymes, the meter's fine, and if you need help with pronunciation, it's all in the Glossary. All bias aside, I like it!
Kohuth, Jane. 2012. Duck Sock Hop. Ill. by Jane Porter. New York: Pen
2 Comments on Picture Book Roundup - May edition, last added: 5/31/2012
Fun roundup! I hadn't heard of the first two books, but they both look great. And I keep hearing about Duck Sock Hop but haven't read it yet. I'd love to get my hands on a copy someday soon :)
These look great! You can't go wrong with fire fighters, dancing ducks, or cute ballerinas. It's recital season so Bea would be especially popular right now. Thank you for sharing!
The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle has been on my to-review pile for a long time. I really rather like the book, but I’ve found it hard to write a review because I can’t help but read it as a satirical story, commenting on society’s attitudes towards “outsiders” (immigrants, travellers, people who are somehow “other”). It’s been difficult for me to find the words to write a book review rather than a political rant.
M (7) would say it’s a extremely funny story about a dream scenario: just how exciting would it be if a real pirate family pitched up to live in our street whilst they repaired their ship? Answer: VERY! And if they left treasure chests behind? …Even better!
My adult head says it’s a rather acutely observed tale about how most people in a neighbourhood react with horror when an strange family arrive in town; there are complaints the pirates don’t wash, they are untidy, they terrorize the people they come into contact with. All in all, most of the pirates’ (grown up) neighbours agree “they won’t fit in round here”.
After a long list of complaints from neighbours, the pirates eventually move on their way, leaving behind wealth and a display of generosity that puts the local residents to shame.
Did Duddle write this book as a commentary on society’s attitudes to “outsiders”? I don’t know. What I do know is that it speaks strongly to me because of my own experience of foreigner nimby-ism: I once had a family of Kurdish refugees as neighbours who enriched my life with generous gifts of lamb dishes perfumed with dill, and stories of humanity against a backdrop of the atrocities committed against their families by Saddam Hussain. They were lovely people. And yet I witnessed them being harassed, abused and threatened by local residents, residents who didn’t even know where they came from (always calling my neighbours Turks – completely incorrectly) but who for some reason felt threatened by this kind, creative family.
But put aside this personal connection, and you’re still left with a great book (indeed, earlier this year it won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize). Told in rhyme (I want to sing the text, playing my accordion, as if it were a sea shanty that a pirate might very well sing themselves), this is a story for kids of dreams come true. What fun to have naughty neighbours doing everything that you’ve always wanted to do yourself (not having to wash, making people walk the plan, dressing up like a pirate), and how brilliant that in the end they leave you treasure and invite them to sail away with them next holidays.
The illustrations are glossy and remind me of Pixar animations – no doubt these will appeal hugely to kids used to a diet of tv/film/game animation. There are lots of fun details in the pictures (
5 Comments on When pirates lived next door…, last added: 5/30/2012
We recently found a very cute book called Captain Pike Looks After the Baby by Marjorie Newman. Totally hilarious!
Also
1. You play the accordion? Wow!
2. I love the girls’ jackets!
3. Is it still that cold in the UK?!
Mrs Brown said, on 5/30/2012 10:44:00 PM
How do you find the time – wow! Fun post and I’ve also heard from a very reliable 4 year old source that this is a good read. I think there may be treasure chests in my future. Mrs Brown recently posted..Big Plans by Bob Shea & Lane Smith
Zoe said, on 5/30/2012 10:59:00 PM
Hi Choxbox, the Newman book is new to me, shall investigate. I play the accordion badly. A beginner really. Jackets are Dutch. The photos are about 2 weeks old (as I said it took me some time to write the post!) – it was still cold then. We’ve just had a hot spell for about 10 days, but now it’s cooler again – 18 by day 10 by night.
Zoe said, on 5/30/2012 11:00:00 PM
Thanks Mrs Brown Time is found for things we love! And the girls ALWAYS have time for finding treasure
Helen D said, on 5/30/2012 11:28:00 PM
I love the treasure hunt idea, not just in your garden but around the streets, brilliant. Have you ever tried geocaching?
In Into the Trap, Eddie and Briggs don’t have time to sleep: Too much is happening and too much is at stake. But if they had had a chance to catch some Zs, they probably would have been so worn out they could have fallen asleep anywhere, even on the deck of a boat.
I’ve snoozed on boats of all kinds. I’ve catnapped on the ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket, fallen asleep on the cover of the fish box on a codfishing boat, slipped into a dream state while steering my little catboat in light airs in open water with no other boats around.
When I sailed with my family as a kid, I rated the most cramped sleeping quarters by virtue of being the youngest. That usually meant I slept in the forward V berth. But I didn’t mind. It became my sanctuary where I could close the small door and peek out the hatch or listen to baseball games on my transistor radio, the ghostly voices sweeping from clarity to the sizzle of interference with the regularity of ocean swells.
On hot nights, I also slept topside wrapped up in the Genoa, the big foresail, piled up on the foredeck, where I could watch the stars float back and forth as the boat jogged on her anchor.
On the Sea Hunter, a wooden codfishing boat I crewed on for several years, we would leave the dock in Wychmere Harbor around midnight. My watch wasn’t until we reached the Great Round Shoal buoy, a steam of about two-and-a-half hours. Once I finished whatever work I had to do, I could head below into the cabin till my turn to steer came up.
The cabin was Spartan—two plain pine bunks on either side of the exposed hull with fishing gear jammed between them and the forward end of the engine box. The engine roar was deafening. I could feel the zipper on my jeans vibrate. My bed was a blow-up mattress and an Army-surplus sleeping bag.
When the run across Nantucket Sound and around Monomoy Point was rough, I’d be pounded up and down and side to side and had to keep a grip on the edge of the bunk. First I’d be airborne. I’d seem to hang in the air for a moment. Then I’d slam back down onto the bunk——not the best way to get much rest.
But sometimes the sea relented. I’d go below, the boat cruising across the night sea as if on rails. I’d kick off my boots. Already exhausted from back-to-back trips and the general fatigue of fishing, I’d burrow into the cocoon of the sleeping bag. I could see my breath rise in the faint light coming from the pilothouse. Even over the engine noise I could hear the water rushing past the hull, my ear separated from the depths of the ocean by only an oak plank.
I’d give myself over to the action of the boat. Enveloped in the roar of the diesel, I’d feel the hull driving through the water, and every now and then the boat would ease upward on a swell so that I became lighter and rose up on the mattress as if levitating. I’d feel feathery for a moment, and then the boat would glide downward, and I’d settle back into the mattress. The droning engine, the cold ocean air on my face, the slow rocking horse motion of the boat…I’d fall into as sweet and deep a sleep as I’ve ever experienced.
The only problem was that in what seemed like a split second later, the ga
SKIFF: (Old Ger. Skif) Any open boat that is propelled by oars, sail, or motor and used for any purpose.
Boats of all kinds play important roles in Into the Trap, almost becoming a class of character (although they have no dialogue).
You might have heard of the term “character boat” which is typically used to describe a boat with as many quirks as ribs.
The skiff Eddie takes out to Greenhead Island is one such character boat, complete with leaks and a recalcitrant Evinrude outboard. Just like Eddie’s skiffs, the skiffs I’ve known over the years have all had some number of defining peculiarities (not unlike the people I’ve known).
The clam boat I helped my old friend Chris Green and his dad Joe build was one big peculiarity. About twelve feet or so, it was essentially a box built out of sheets of plywood whose only nod to marine design was its slanted scow-style bow. It resembled the Higgins boats used for ship-to-shore transport in World War II. We painted it olive drab, too, probably because Joe picked up the paint on the cheap.
As rudimentary as it was, it floated, and we kept it moored in Round Cove in East Harwich and now and then took it fishing in Pleasant Bay out past Great Island.
Mostly we used it for quahogging. I spent many days puttering out of the cove and then opening up the throttle of the outboard to plow along to where the clam beds were in the open bay, and there to spend the day among the other quahoggers raking clams from their skiffs. The boat was no speedboat, and it was tender, meaning that if you moved, it moved with you. Taking a long trip in it wasn’t something I had the stomach for.
But it made a serviceable floating platform from which to put your long-handled aluminum bullrake over the rail, work the teeth of the rake into the unseen sand and mud below, and scrape up the blue-gray nuggets of littlenecks, cherrystones, and chowder clams in the rake’s basket, and then to empty the basket on the culling board.
You just had to remember to bail out the water that constantly leaked in before you put the rake back over again, or your boots would be ankle-deep in seawater before you knew it.
(Both photos are courtesy of NOAA. That’s not the skiff I used, but it’s certainly a character boat with a couple of characters quahogging.)
Had a hurricane threatened Fog Island, where Into the Trap is set, Eddie and his family would have taken the same kind of precautions that we did when Hurricane Irene was heading our way. The cove below the house where Eddie’s dad kept his boat was well protected, but in a hurricane, you have to look for the safest harbor possible. They might have taken Marie A into a snug inlet in the marsh in Saltworks Cove or even out to Malabar Island, where Eddie’s dad knew where the find a cove protected on all sides by high dunes.
We did the same with Finn, our little catboat. Last year when another hurricane was taking aim at us, my son and I sailed Finn into Squeteague Harbor up a switchback channel from where we moor Finn in Megansett Harbor. Tucked behind the open water is an inlet that narrows into a marsh and a small guzzle or trickle of water. Higher ground on Amrita Island protects it from southerly winds. On the other side lies a disused campground in a pine grove.
When Irene was going to hit, my brother-in-law and I sailed the boat to the same spot and set her even farther up toward the head of the cove—what we call the hurricane hole. By the time we got the anchors set in the deep black stinky marsh muck (oysters abounded on rocks buried in the slurpy bottom around us), the tide had dropped so much Finn sat only in a thin puddle. We took the sail off and removed all the gear from below the foredeck and left her sitting pretty.
You've probably heard about this book in the run-up to 9/11's anniversary, but as I wrote it a while ago, I might as well publish it.
As we near the 10th anniversary of 9/11 you may be wondering if there are any picture books you might read to your children about the events of that day. Of course the first step is to determine if your children are mature and ready to discuss the full story. If they are, Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey is a good place to start.
Maira Kalman has made the wise choice of choosing a way to approach the events of 9/11 that will interest many children: a fireboat. The story actually begins in 1931, when "amazing things were happening big and small" in NYC. Big things, like the Empire State Building's construction and small things like the sale of the first Snickers bar. It was also the year the John J. Harvey Fireboat was launched. Kalman then takes us through the boat's hey dey, its retirement and and refurbishment. But then, on 9/11 the little boat proved to be a unique hero, and, like the events on 9/11, will never be forgotten.
Kalman's illustrations serve the story well, but parents and teachers should preview the book as the illustrations of 9/11 events are powerful.
All in all, this book would be good choice to accompany discussions with your children about 9/11. However, that said, it might be too powerful for some children, and it should not be the first introduction to the events, as the abrupt change of events in the book and the illustrations of the towers on fire can be jarring.
Want More? Take a look at these other picture books about the twin towers: The Little Chapel That Stood, (I was not able to get this book in time to review it for this blog, but the reviews on Amazon are good) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (a pre-9/11 story and an excellent choice for those not yet ready for <
2 Comments on Heroic City: Fireboat, The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey, last added: 9/10/2011
I was struggling to decide whether or not to discuss September 11 with Anna yet and decided not to. It's just way too fresh for myself even though 10 years passed since. Watching the second plane hit on live TV and then watching the towers fall still gives me shivers.
Into the Trap is a made-up story but I drew on a number of experiences in my life, if only indirectly, to make the story come alive.
Years ago, I was lucky enough to work for a legend among Cape Cod lobstermen named Harry Hunt. His boat was called Gertrude H., named for his wife. The boat was a Virginia-built wooden boat, beamy and solid and beautiful in her workboat lines. Harry himself resembled the boat in the sense that he was all about work—no varnish on him. He had bluff shoulders like the slopes of mountains and Popeye forearms and massive meaty hands. He was one of the saltiest men I’d ever heard speak. In his profane way, he stood solo against the world.
The first time I worked for him I was already crewing for Rick Verlik aboard his jigboat Sea Hunter. Rick got a call from Harry one day in early October: He was short of crew and needed a couple of extra hands to help find and haul a number of traps that had gone missing during a blow. So Rick and I found ourselves signed on for a flat fee of around two hundred bucks, and steamed out of Wychmere Harbor in Harwich Port one cool evening. Our course took us through the fishing grounds that Rick and I frequented: Nantucket Shoals where we fished for striped bass and the Great South Channel, where we handlined to catch codfish. But Harry wasn’t stopping there: One of the pioneers of offshore lobstering, he was bound for the canyons of the Continental Shelf, a hundred miles offshore where the Gulf Stream swirled.
Every year the Clark family spend their holidays at home in the city, but this year they decide to try something new – a house swap. Believing they’ve found the perfect seaside retreat they set off, only to be somewhat surprised to discover their holiday home is a pirate galleon.
The family set about learning the pirate ways necessary to enjoy life on the ocean waves, including how to sleep in a hammock and navigate by the stars. Back in the city the pirates are equally intrigued but willing to give the land lubbers’ life a go, learning about the delights of vacuum cleaners and ovens.
By the end of the holidays both families have had a wonderful time but when they return to their homes things are not quite as they were left, and although the Clark family set about putting things back to rights, they do not completely give up their newly adopted pirate ways.
This story is a dream come true for many children! I’m sure my children are not the only ones who would jump at chance to holiday on a real pirate ship.
The illustrations contain lots of fun details for listeners to point out, including cheeky mice on most pages getting up to all sorts of mischief. However, I did feel that some of the details were included more for adult readers than the intended listening audience (for example, the adverts for other possible house swaps are in tiny print and refer to fairy tale locations). If you like the Shrek movies because they contain in-jokes for the grown-ups you’ll like the similar details in Pirate House Swap.
Pirate House Swap is a fun read in the run up to holidays and has a great theme about learning to adapt to new circumstances and to enjoy different ways of life so I’d definitely recommend picking this book up if you find it at the library. That said, Pirate House Swap does not dislodge our favourite pirate book from its place on the shelves – The Night Pirates by Peter Harris, illustrated by Deborah Allwright.
Having seen the photos of the pirate bedroom, and then fallen in love with the idea of living on a pirate galleon, I was set the challenge of helping the girls transform M’s bed into their own pirate ship.
Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook said, on 4/14/2011 2:32:00 AM
Well, maybe the girls are a little young for Gilbert and Sullivan, but my favourite pirate songs are those from Pirates of Penzance! And I still have a soft spot in my heart for Captain Pugwash books and the lovely little cartoon on TV. Such minimal animation but very cute.
Deb said, on 4/14/2011 6:01:00 AM
I don’t do pirates, but I love the idea of the house swap, that could lead in so many different directions!
And I’m in awe of the way you do so many fun games, I wish you were my Mum
Zoe said, on 4/14/2011 6:02:00 AM
Oh yes! When I was about 12 or 13 my dad was in Pirates of Penzance and so I got to learn all the songs by listening to him! Lots of fun We have one copy, much loved,of Pugwash from my youth. Recently tried to get original animations but couldn’t – new ones are out but they get terrible reviews
McCaughrean, Geraldine. 2011. The Glorious Adventures of the Sunshine Queen. New York: Harper.
Out of prarie desperation tumble the most amusing predicaments you've read in ages! It's like Mark Twain for kids.
Cissy Sissney lives in the prairie railroad stop of Olive Town, circa 1890. Since her beloved teacher, Miss Loucien left town with The Bright Lights, a traveling theater group, life hasn't been the same.
Beyond the window, a great tidal wave of Boredom rolled in from the eastern horizon, then broke over the school roofs and Main Street and the silo and the umbrella factory before rolling on to the western horizon. Cissy knew the color of boredom; it was the color of prairie. It was the color of northwest Oklahoma. It was the color of schoolday afternoons. Sometimes she thought they sky had been nailed down on Olive Town like a crate lid and that she was suffocating on Boredom.
And things were about to get worse. School might be boring, but at least she had friends there, including her best friend, Habakkuk (Kookie) Warboys. Now her mother wanted her to give up school, work full time in the family shop. Her father's
heart ached for his little girl whose life had suddenly shrunk in the wash from a costume gown into a shopgirl's apron.
But life has a way of changing the best laid plans. A runaway silo accident (!) destroys Cissy's family's store and severely injures her father. To make matters worse, there is a diphtheria outbreak out in Olive Town. Soon Cissy, Kookie, and the beautiful Tibbie Bolden, find themselves in the care of their prim and proper new schoolteacher, Miss May March. All are bound for refuge in Salvation - the town of Salvation, that is, current and temporary home of Mrs. Lucien Shades Crew and the Bright Lights Theater Company - at least until they can get Curly out of jail.
The Bright Lights Theater Company, currently residing in a grounded paddle wheeler, takes a highly unanticipated journey downriver, meeting up with actors, entertainers, gamblers, rogues - a complete cast of "characters!" And subject to their many unexpected situations, they become in turn The Bright Lights Theater & Shipwrecking Company, The Bright Lights Theater & Funeral Company, and The Bright Lights Theater, Last Ditch & Final Curtain Company. The Bright Lights "family" takes it all in stride. As Henry, the Bright Lights' English butler reminds Cissy,
Yesterday I was a butler, Miss Cecelia. Today I seem to be the Prime Minister of England, ... Sometimes life has a way of asking us to take a step up.
And step up they do! To the direst, funniest, most improbable situations that might be found on a dilapidated paddle steamer plying the 1890 Numchuck River, calling on such colorful ports as Salvation, Patience, Plenty, Woodpile, Blowville, and Boats-a-Cummin.
The Glorious Adventure of the Sunshine Queen is not for the reluctant reader; the reader who struggles with contextual clues. Rather, it is for the reader who glories in wordplay, colorful language, and magnificent adventures. Ms. McCaughrean does not stop to ensure that the reader has "gotten," the joke (and there are many!), she keeps on moving, toward greater exploits downriver. Get ready to be swept away from Salvation to Golden Bend on an exuberant trip with the Bright Lights! Highly recommended.
The Glorious Advent
0 Comments on The Glorious Adventures of the Sunshine Queen as of 1/1/1900
I've fallen behind in all the great new books that I'd like to review - so here's a quick take on a few of my new picture book favorites.
Waddell, Martin. 2010. Captain Small Pig. Illustrated by Susan Varley. Atlanta: Peachtree. (first published in the U.K., 2009)
This book had me from page one.
One day Old Goat and Turkey took Small Pig down to Blue Lake. They found a little red boat. "I want to go for a row!" Small Pig said, dancing about. "Turkeys don't go in boats," Turkey said. "Neither do goats," said old Goat, but he climbed into the boat, and they rowed off onto Blue Lake.
It doesn't matter that one cannot catch a whale in the lake, that Little Pig is too small to row, or that he is too small to steer, Turkey and Old Goat let him try. And when Little Pig is done trying, he's tired out... and he dreams, dreams
of a lovely day out in a boat with good friends on Blue Lake...the day that he was Captain Small Pig.
And what could be better than that? The only lesson in this book is one for grownups - Let children try. It may aggravate you today, but it gives gives the lifelong gift of confidence and remembered joy. A perfect pairing of cheerfully painted ink drawings and an enchanting story! Love it!
Yolen, Jane. 2010. All Star! Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever. Ill. by Jim Burke. New York: Philomel.
Paintings evocative of a bygone era grace this non-fiction, picture book for older readers and help to tell the story of baseball great, Honus Wagner, and his rare baseball card, last sold for nearly three million dollars.
Stories from his childhood (he worked in a coal mine for 79 cents a day) and his early career (to try out for his first professional job, he hopped a freight train and then ran to the field without uniform, glove or spikes), offer a glimpse into both his personality and the time period. A great baseball story for independent readers or as a read-aloud for school-age baseball fans.
Harper, Charise Mericle. 2010. Pink Me Up. New York: Knopf. What's a little bunny to do when she's got a "pink-nic" to attend and Mama's sick? What else can she do but "pink up" Daddy?!
I hold Daddy's hand because he is not used to being pink. "Don't worry, Daddy. Being pink will be fun," I tell him.
Pink Me Up is pure pinkish fun.
0 Comments on Another Picture Book Roundup as of 6/4/2010 6:39:00 AM
Just found this beauty at Bookmans, one of my favorite used bookstores in Tucson. Such good stuff. A Max and Pinky houseboat? I'm thinking... yes. Here are a few inspiring photos from within, mostly from Vancouver and Seattle:
"Honey, watch. You aren't watching!"
1 Comments on Floating Homes!, last added: 8/7/2009
A week or so ago I started a little doodle that didn't go anywhere...or so I thought. It was small and was something like a caterpillar if you look at it one way...or was it bunnies in capes (You decide). I was leaning toward the bunnies, but I had no interest (or time) to take it any further.
The other night, I found some time when all the kids were in bed and I still had a little energy to draw. I thought I'd elaborate on the caped bunny, and I was actually quite happy with the character that came out. So, what would a RABBIT pull out of a hat? A magician?
One illustration exercise I'd read about was taking one character and exploring different expressions, scenarios, etc. I haven't really done a lot of that, so I thought I'd do another bunny.
I don't know what it is about this character, but I really like it! There's something a little extra human about it. I really like the facial expression - believable (would any parent say "no" to this face?). I guess it's not exactly the same character as the one in the cape - they seem different in age - perhaps father and son.
While I worked, I also thought about how I really like my 4B pencil (used on the jammies). I don't know why - I just like the the value, and the lead just seems to "flow" smoothly. Maybe it's just this brand of pencil (Staedtler Mars Lumograph - my faves since college).
Anyway, I think I'll work on some more bunnies when I have the chance - a nice change from birds. I started a bunny today at Lake Cachuma while my older girls were on a bird-watching cruise. My son stayed with me on-shore since I had to stay with the baby. I didn't get much drawing done, but we had our own bird encounter. Some Scrub Jays came to visit us, coming VERY close (and they weren't scared off when I moved to get my camera). They're a beautiful blue and they're all over the place around these parts.
1 Comments on Birds, Boats, and Bunnies..., last added: 5/25/2009
Machines Go to Work by William Low, Henry Holt, 2009
William Low brought a long-gone train station to life in his book Old Penn Station. Here, Low brings us working vehicles such as fire trucks, helicopters, backhoes, container ships, cement trucks and even railroad crossing signs that vibrate with color and strength.
This is not Little Toot, the anthropomorphic tugboat nor Thomas the Tank Engine. Low's brush strokes do suggest a presence and power as his machines rumble across the two page spreads. The reader can see the helicopter's rotors whirl and the front tire of a cement mixer deflating. Illustrations open with full page flaps to extend the reach of a backhoe or the length of the fire truck's ladder.
The narrative is set up to suggest a problem for each machine which is then gently resolved as the flap unfolds. A fire truck roars past cherry trees in full bloom, not because of a fire but to rescue a cat. A news helicopter races to the scene of a traffic tie-up but happily, an accident is not the cause of the problem.
The last two pages unfold to present a 4 page an aerial view of the city in eye-popping color. All the machines are visible from on high as they go about their work. It is fun to try and find them all. At the end of the book, small paintings of the machines are labeled along with some brief facts. The parts of the Cement Mixer are labeled: the water tank, the cement chute, the engine exhaust. The cement drum is "like a big mixing bowl. Just add sand, gravel, portalnd cement, water and mix."
Low paints with realistic and technical accuracy. People are there, operating these machines and giving the reader a sense of scale as well as the machine's purpose.
This is a "must-have" for school libraries and for young truck-boat-train-heavy machine enthusiasts.
Trained in traditional oil technique, Low used Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter to create this book. He demonstrates how he works in this series of videos.
How cute!!!!! <3
Those are very cute, that’s for sure!
We have a baby weasel (Ronald Weasely) and a tiny panda from the lovely Celestine and the hare and look forward to the next installment of books. Lovely, life affirming joyful creations
I am very envious Sue!