abc bear pillow (made of natural organic hemp with embroidered alphabet and felt pocket) by Pi’lo

1. This could be the pillow of my dreams — the alphabet + a pocket with a teddy bear! Shall we pause for a moment of deep appreciation?  *sigh*  Toronto-based Heather Shaw is the artisan behind the P i’ l o collection of home goods, which includes tea towels, bags, mobiles, toys, notebooks, sachets, printed tapes, shawls, stationery and wall art. Everything is carefully made by hand with natural materials (cotton, linen, hemp, rocks) in a coach house studio with the hope that these items will be passed down as family heirlooms.

Typewriter Case

Printed Tape

Both her home and work space are serene and soothing environments filled with inspiration. Heather creates objects of beautiful simplicity — just looking at her collection makes me feel calm, cleansed and relaxed.

Recipe Card Case

Find out more at the Pi’lo website. You can purchase there or at Heather’s Etsy Shop.

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2. New book alert! Coretta Scott King Honor author Tanita S. Davis has just published a young adult novel called Peas and Carrots (Knopf, 2016)! Ooh-la-la — is that the best title ever, or what? This story is about 15-year-old Dess and how she adjusts to her new foster family. Check it:

Dess knows that nothing good lasts. Disappointment is never far away, and that’s a truth that Dess has learned to live with.

Dess’s mother’s most recent arrest is just the latest in a long line of disappointments, but this one lands her with her baby brother’s foster family. Dess doesn’t exactly fit in with the Carters. They’re so happy, so comfortable, so normal, and Hope, their teenage daughter, is so hopelessly naïve. Dess and Hope couldn’t be more unlike each other, but Austin loves them both like sisters. Over time their differences, insurmountable at first, fall away to reveal two girls who want the same thing: to belong.

Tanita herself was a foster sister from the age of nine until she graduated from college. I’ve been a fan of her writing since first reading A la Carte (Knopf, 2008) — yes, a foodie book with recipes! — and then, of course, thoroughly enjoyed the award winning Mare’s War (Knopf, 2009), as well as Happy Families (Knopf, 2012), the first YA novel I ever read featuring a transgender character. She is brilliant at exploring family dynamics and personal identity, making the reader question long-held stereotypes and assumptions about race, gender, and body image. I just started reading Peas and Carrots, which is told from Dess’s and Hope’s points of view in alternating chapters, and I love how both voices ring true with raw emotional honesty. The book has already garnered very favorable reviews from School Library Journal, PW, and Kirkus. Check out Tanita’s guest posts at Stacked Books and John Scalzi’s Big Idea, her Five Questions interview at The Horn Book, and her YA Open Mic contribution at Barnes & Noble.

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3. Are you a Star Wars fan suffering from mild withdrawal now that all the Star Wars: The Force Awakens hoopla has died down? Have no fear, the Death Star BBQ is almost here! Yes, you can now pre-order this officially licensed stainless steel beauty from The Fowndry. Definitely something to look forward to in those please-come-soon warmer weather days. You will be the coolest griller in your neighborhood. Think of all the chickens and steaks you can annihilate! May the charcoal be with you. :D

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4. Okay, I admit it. I can’t resist cute food and it’s always fun to discover another clever and talented bento maker. Such patience and creativity! Such skill! Li Ming Lee, a Singapore mother of two, has been sharing her wonderful lunch box creations at Bento Monsters since 2011 and she just published her first book last Fall: Yummy Kawaii Bento: Preparing Adorable Meals for Adorable Kids (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015). This treasure trove features 160+ step-by-step tutorials for creating fun, beautiful, appetizing bento boxes that are truly works of art. Sometimes the designs are so adorable you can’t bear to eat them (Oh, twist, twist my arm . . . I guess I could manage if I try hard enough). ;)

If you haven’t yet visited Bento Monsters, you’re in for a real treat. Ming seems to like teddy bears too! Here are several of my favorites:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bento

Tsum Tsum Deco Sushi

Matilda Food Art

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5. I loved paper dolls when I was little and fondly remember spending hours and hours cutting out clothes, making little houses, and acting out all kinds of stories with them. There were lots of different sets available (loved my Lennon Sisters dolls best), but we never had any custom dolls. Now that would have been something, to have my very own Jama paper doll. :)

So I was tickled pink to discover Lily & Thistle’s Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique. They offer a variety of instant downloadable dolls in PDF format (different themes like Around the World, Valentine’s Day, Girls in Sports, Girls in Literature), as well as custom dolls for both girls and boys. In this day and age of electronic everything, it’s refreshing to see a hands-on, inexpensive, old-school form of creative play for kids.

Check out this video featuring Lily & Thistle owner Hannah Stevenson:

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6. Heads up, Poets — especially those of you looking to publish a full-length collection of your work! Terrapin Books, a brand new small poetry press started by New Jersey poet and author Diane Lockward, is currently accepting submissions for full length collections of 40-55 poems. She plans to select 2-4 manuscripts, and they will be published as 6×9 paperbacks with color covers. Deadline for submissions is February 25, 2016.

I was very excited and impressed when I heard that Diane was starting her own press, as I’m a longtime fan of her poetry. Her book What Feeds Us (Wind Publications, 2006) was largely responsible for turning me on to culinary verse. I remember writing to tell her how much I loved her work, and how wonderful it was to find an entire collection of poems that was wholly accessible. I’ve since featured many of her poems here at Alphabet Soup, including, “The Best Words,” “No Soup for You!”, “If Only Humpty Dumpty Had Been a Cookie,” “Heart on the Unemployment Line,” and “Blueberry.”

Click here for more details about how to submit your manuscript to Terrapin Books.

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7. It’s no secret that I love to play with toys (who, me?) :) I’m also a longtime Leslie McGuirk fan. You may know her through her Tucker the dog children’s books, or any of the other books I’ve featured here at Alphabet Soup: Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant (co-written with Alex von Bidder), If Rocks Could Sing, and The Mogees Move House.

Recently, Leslie and her friend Chris Katilus created Quirkyville, “an imaginary sea world, inhabited by quirky sea creatures. They deal with the same feelings and issues we humans face everyday. Their positive messages inspire us to be ourselves. Each of these creatures teach us that when you take the time to look below the surface, it’s cool to be quirky.”

Cezar

This colorful and charming collection of 8 plush sea animal characters is now available for purchase online at their new website. I especially like Cezar, a free-spirited anchovy who is tired of being associated with pizza and salads (his afro is really a lump of black caviar). And then there’s Fishycoise, a colorful character in a red chapeau who speaks with a French accent.

Fishycoise

Leave it to quirky Ms. McGuirk — she’s always up to something fun. In addition to her children’s books, she continues her work as an astrologer and creativity workshop facilitator, living the good life with her beloved dogs. :)

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8. Hooray for Classic Character Sticky Notes! Now you can mark favorite passages with these cute 2″ x 1″ adhesive tags. Each set features a total of 240 notes (60 each of 4 different characters). Choose from Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice (yay for Mr. Darcy!), and Romeo and Juliet. These make great “just because” gifts for your bookish friends. More info at Bas Bleu. :)

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9. Finally, I am in love with Le Petit Chef! This adorable culinary marvel is the brainchild of Belgian boutique animation studio Skullmapping. I’ve always wanted a personal chef, but never dreamed about a diminutive dynamo such as this. See for yourself:

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Amazing, no?

Happy Tuesday and have a good week!

As always, BE KIND.

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Erik is a 13-year-old eighth grader who loves to read. He started his blog, This Kid Reviews Books, when he was nine. Erik writes a monthly book review column for his local free newspaper and is a Scholastic News Kid Reporter. He holds two black belts in martial arts but only uses his skills for good…or does he? MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Loose-Leaf Irish Breakfast Tea – I like the sweet smell, and steeping it for at least 7 minutes to make it taste a bit bitter (I know weird). I put no cream or sugar – sometimes a drop or two of lemon juice.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: The Adventures of Tomato and Pea – Book 1: A Bad Idea (CreateSpace, 2013), and a short story entitled, “The Accidental Agents” in the Kissed by an Angel anthology edited by Robyn Campbell (CreateSpace, December, 2015). Proceeds from Kissed by an Angel benefit the Sturge-Weber Foundation.

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: The Redwall Cookbook by Brian Jacques and Christopher Denise (Philomel, 2005). 

☕ Visit Erik’s blog This Kid Reviews Books!

☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Read an excerpt from “The Accidental Agents”:

“I didn’t mean to blow it up,” I said as I slipped into the back seat of our minivan.

“Don’t worry about it, Oscar. It happened last year. They’ve probably forgotten about it,” Mom said. She nervously checked her phone as she piloted our van out of the driveway.

My little sister, Sam, sat next to me bobbing up and down on her seat, humming along to music only she could hear. She was clenching and relaxing her hands, never still for a minute. The doctors said she has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). SPD makes her brain work differently. That means what Sam sees and hears gets mixed up and she constantly tries to make sense out of it. Sam also has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and anxiety disorder too. I think I’d be hyper and anxious if I had all the information in the world coming at me a million miles a second and none of it made sense. My mom said labels are dumb and Sam just has SAM (She’s Absolutely Marvelous).

It’s one of the reasons we attend The Klinkman Alternative Learning Institute (KALI). The kids at our old school made fun of her. Sure, Sam can’t read as well as other kids and maybe she has some odd quirks, but she knows stuff. Like, she can tell you the best spot for fishing by just looking at the environment around a pond and she can build a campfire in a downpour. She can even tell the type and altitude of an airplane flying overhead just by its sound. Don’t let her tiny body fool you either. Sam can toss a 2×4 in the air and snap it in half with a sidekick before it hits the ground.

She saw me watching her blonde curls bounce to her imaginary music and stuck her tongue out at me.

Sisters.

Mom was biting her fingernails again. I thought it was odd she had her briefcase on her lap instead of on the seat next to her.

I hoped it wasn’t the explosion that she’s stressing about.

Sam was one of the reasons we now go to KALI. I am the other. I’ve been labeled genius, prodigy, and gifted. I’ve also been labeled braniac, egghead and poindexter. Labels are dumb. Unlike Sam who tries to take in all information around her, I get hung up on over-analyzing everything.

It took me 45 minutes yesterday to brush my teeth. Well, not so much brushing my teeth. I was calculating the circumference of the water droplets coming from the bathroom faucet and theorizing how large they have to be to break the surface tension of the water to fall. Before I knew it, I was late for school (again).

I won’t even go into the computations that go through my head while tying my shoes. Mom tried to get me sneakers with Velcro to stop that, but Velcro has some fascinating properties…

I digress.

Traffic on the beltway going into Washington, DC was pretty light today.

You are probably wondering about the explosion. Last year, Principal Rozo started a new program for the students at KALI. The “Young Apprentice Program” is pretty much bring your kid to work day, but we also had to do a job and write a report about it. I was excited because we got to go to work with our mom at the NSA (National Security Agency). The director of the NSA invited newspaper reporters in to do a story on the event.

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☕☕☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Check out my interview with Erik about his book The Adventures of Tomato and Pea! :)

♥♥ HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! ♥♥

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Just for you: Grandma Rosie’s Chocolate Cake

Will you be my Valentine? 

I’ve got chocolate chocolate chocolate!

According to my highly scientific research of the last 8 years, most writers claim chocolate inspires their best work. Is it all those mood altering chemicals creating an instant high (the same feeling we get when we fall in love)? Or maybe that pure, eyes-roll-back-in-the-head pleasure when a piece of velvety smooth chocolate brazenly yields to our body heat and melts in our mouths, ever-so-slowly releasing its deep, rich flavor? Yes, and Yes.

Whatever your pleasure — brownies, fudge, ganache, chip, bonbon, bark or bar — chocolate is the language of love. When it speaks, I listen. Chocolate gets my creative juices flowing, makes me fall in love with books, words, reading and writing all over again. I like having a little cacao in my corner, whispering, “You can do it!” :)

Today we’re serving up three delectable chocolate poems for your Valentine’s Day pleasure. Gary Hanna offers a bit of sweet seduction, Ed Zahniser rhapsodizes about his intense love for chocolate, while Rita Dove speaks the plain truth: when it comes to chocolate, it’s hopeless to resist.

♥

“Cherry Cordial” by Sarah Sartain

CHERRY CORDIAL
by Gary Hanna

Let me offer you
something tangible
from my heart, like
a cherry cordial
hidden in the dark
chocolate of my eye,
deep in the liqueur
of my personality,
an expectation to
choose from. Some-
thing sweet and
succulent but one
that will not last
too long, only entice
you to come back
for more. Isn’t that
what it’s all about,
on Valentine’s Day.

~ Copyright © 2015 Gary Hanna. From Joys of the Table: An Anthology of Culinary Verse, edited by Sally Zakariya (Richer Resources Publications, 2015).

♥

“Strawberry Drizzled in Chocolate” by Rayhan Miah

GHAZAL OF CHOCOLATE
by Ed Zahniser

I want a chocolate torte cake made with no flour.
I want chocolate-covered strawberries — hold the berries.

I want chocolate on a grand scale that won’t weigh me.
I want chocolate so dark it can’t find my waistline.

I want chocolate-covered bananas — hold the bananas.
I want a café mocha — hold the coffee and frothed milk.

I want chocolate lay-away just in case.
I want to try the chocolate case — not hear it.

I want free-standing chocolate-filled — hold the whatever.
I want chocolate mousse as big as Alaskan moose.

I want the Olympic-sized chocolate swimming pool.
I want to look down on chocolate from the diving platform.

I want to be the pool for a chocolate fountain.
I want the economy back on the chocolate standard.

I want SomeMores — hold the crackers and marshmallow.
I want the world’s biggest chocolate bar none.

I want to open a chocolate bar.
I want to be its chocolate bartender.

I want to be a chocolate insurance underwriter.
I want chocolate love handles.

I want chocolate love.
I want chocolate.

~ Copyright © 2010 Ed Zahniser. From The Poet’s Cookbook: Recipes from Germany, edited by Grace Cavalieri and Sabine Pascarelli (Forest Woods Media Productions, Inc., 2010).

Note from Ed: I used the name “Ghazal of Chocolate” for the poem because this Middle Eastern verse form is, as I understand it, pronounced much like the English verb “guzzle.” And I like to guzzle chocolate.

♥

“Chocolates 3” by Joel Penkman

CHOCOLATE
by Rita Dove

Velvet fruit, exquisite square
I hold up to sniff
between finger and thumb –

how you numb me
with your rich attentions!
If I don’t eat you quickly,

you’ll melt in my palm.
Pleasure seeker, if I let you
you’d liquefy everywhere.

Knotted smoke, dark punch
of earth and night and leaf,
for a taste of you

any woman would gladly
crumble to ruin.
Enough chatter: I am ready

to fall in love!

~ Copyright © 2004 Rita Dove. From American Smooth (W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2004).

♥

The language of chocolate, the language of love, is evocative and sensual. There’s always something a little bit naughty about chocolate, don’t you think? Sweet sinful indulgence! I’m endlessly fascinated by chocolate’s allure. The darker the better. Even the coy among us are willing to take the plunge. After all, death by chocolate is the only way to go. :)

Will you have another bite of cake? This year I decided to make Grandma Rosie’s Chocolate Cake recipe using my new cakelet pan. There’s something extra charming about individual little cakes. Plus, you don’t have to share :D

As before, the cake turned out moist and fudgy, a one-bowl recipe that’s easy to make with such satisfying results. You may remember I first made this cake for my review of Baking Day at Grandma’s by Anika Denise and Christopher Denise. It was delicious then with a vanilla buttercream frosting, but this time around I wanted a mostly naked chocolate cake (tee hee), so I tried  a little confectioner’s sugar over top, a spritz of whipped cream, and a vanilla glaze + sugar sprinkles. All to die for.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

♥

♥ ABOUT THE POETS ♥

Gary Hanna received two Fellowships in Poetry and five individual artist awards from the Delaware Division of the Arts and a Residency Fellowship to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts from the Mid-Atlantic Art Foundation. He has published two chapbooks: The Homestead Poems and Sediment and Other Poems, both from the Broadkill Press.

Ed Zahniser lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he co-founded The Good News Paper in 1979 and still serves as poetry editor. He was a founding editor of Some of Us Press in Washington DC in the 1970s, when he worked as assistant editor at The Wilderness Society. Recent books include Mall-Hopping with the Great I AM (Somondoco Press, 2006), At Betty’s Restaurant Thomas Shepherd Loves Danske Dandridge and the Shepherdstown Sonnets (Four Seasons Books, 2014), and At the End of the Self-Help Rope: Poems by Ed Zahniser (Scarith Press, February 2016).

Rita Dove served as Poet Laureate of the United States and Consultant to the Library of Congress from 1993 to 1995 and as Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2004 to 2006. She has received numerous literary and academic honors, among them the 1987 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and, more recently, the 2003 Emily Couric Leadership Award, the 2001 Duke Ellington Lifetime Achievement Award, the 1997 Sara Lee Frontrunner Award, the 1997 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, the 1996 Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities, and the 1996 National Humanities Medal. In 2008 she was honored with the Library of Virginia’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2009 she received the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal and the Premio Capri.

Her books of poetry include Sonata Mulattica (W. W. Norton, 2009); American Smooth (W. W. Norton, 2004); and On the Bus with Rosa Parks (W. W. Norton, 1999), which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Dove is Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia, where she has been teaching since 1989.

♥

Kimberley Moran is hosting today’s Roundup at Written Reflections. Take her some chocolate and check out the full menu of poetic goodness on this week’s menu. Have an especially scrumptious and chocolaty Valentine’s Day weekend!

♥

I leave you with Rita Dove reading “Chocolate”:

♥ ♥ ♥

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Jessixa Bagley is a picture book author/illustrator known for her debut picture book Boats for Papa. She loves hamburgers and making things out of cardboard. She lives in Seattle, WA with her husband and son.

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: My current favorite hot beverage is Choice peppermint licorice tea! It’s personally a very controversial choice for me because I hate black licorice, but this tea is AMAZING!

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESS: Before I Leave (Roaring Brook Press, 2016) — comes out February 16 -yay! — is a book about having to move away from your best friend; Boats for Papa (Roaring Brook Press, 2015). Forthcoming: My third picture book, Laundry Day, is a fun and silly book and comes out winter 2017. I’m currently working on my fourth picture book, Vincent Comes Home, which a collaboration with my husband Aaron Bagley! It’s due out winter 2018. I’m super excited about it!

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola. I love that overflowing pasta pot overtaking the town. Those images have stuck with me for nearly 30 years!

☕☕ Visit Jessixa Bagley’s Official Website and blog, Rambling Meat.

☕☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Check out this cool feature about Boats for Papa (with sketches and final illos) at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

☕☕☕☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Wonderful reviews of Boats for Papa by Sam Juliano at Wonders in the Dark, and Margie Culver at Librarian’s Quest.

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Petit fours: dainty little iced cakes, delicately layered with fruit or buttercream, an adorable bite-size treat. Eating one of these pastel pretties can make you feel quite special, maybe even a little giddy with delight.

That was just how I felt reading The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by award winning author and poet Anne Michaels.  Meeting the inimitable, eccentric Miss Petitfour was a singular pleasure since she’s an expert at baking and eating little cakes.  A very good talent to have, I must say.

Miss P also likes to read, chat, and dance. She thrives on small pleasures. Fond of “pockets, paisley, playful patterns and anything hand-knitted,” she travels by tablecloth with her 16 cats trailing aloft, a fanciful kind of Mary Poppins sans umbrella with her own brand of magic.

Laced with just the right amounts of whimsy and fun, this charming book features five everyday adventures of precisely the right size:

Some adventures are so small, you hardly know they’ve happened. Like the adventure of sharpening your pencil to a perfect point, just before it breaks and that little bit gets stuck in the sharpener. That, I think we will all agree, is a very small adventure.

Other adventures are so big and last so long, you might forget they are adventures at all — like growing up.

And some adventures are just the right size — fitting into a single, magical day. And these are the sort of adventures Miss Petitfour had.

And guess what else?

Miss Petitfour believed firmly that every adventure past her doorstep — even just a jaunt to the grocery shop — must end with a tea party . . .

Huzzah! :)

Each adventure — fetching marmalade, attending a Spring jumble sale, chasing a rare runaway postage stamp, planning a cheddar cheese themed birthday party, creating a special display for the Festival of Festooning — introduces us to some of the quirky characters from the village.

Miss Petitfour is special friends with Mrs. Collarwaller, who owns a bookshop with two sides: “one side for adventure books and the other for books in which nothing ever happens,” (hum and ho-hum). Also notable are confetti factory owner/would-be suitor Mr. Coneybeare, who owns a little red sports car and is too shy to tell Miss Petitfour he fancies her, and grocery shop owner Mrs. Carruther, who thinks nothing of climbing onto the roof of the clock tower to hand a jar of Thick Cut Orange Marmalade to Sizzles, a little but long clever ginger cat with an acrobatic tail.

It’s good to keep in mind that when traveling by tablecloth, much depends on the meteorological circumstances, i.e., which direction the wind is blowing. It is easy to get thrown off course, get blown in the wrong direction and end up with quite a different adventure than the one you’d been anticipating. But Miss Petitfour never loses her cool. Very often, it’s precisely those twists, turns and surprises that allow the best things to happen.

Just as the most desirable petit fours are decorated with swirls, bows, and colorful flowers, the narrative of this book with its easy conversational style is embellished with long chewy words (perambulator, gesticulating), fetching digressions, and lists, lists, lists (different kinds of cheeses, alphabetized jumble sale items, types of stamps, dances to learn, things to eat, the cats’ names). Some of the villagers have deliciously long names (Mrs. Bois-Brioche des Fontana Harridale Quesloe-Brisbane, Mrs. Gustavo-Wentworth Worthington Donquist Torresdale Blindon Perstancion-Withers).

BY THE WAY, the cheeky narrator loves to periodically hit the pause button and address the reader directly, explaining literary devices, ways with words, and choice storytelling techniques:

Sometimes stories will have three special words right in the middle of them, like three shiny buttons down a shirtfront or a dress, or three shiny screws in a shiny hinge. These three little words, “THEN ONE DAY,” opens a story like a tiny key.

These intimate asides allow the reader to slow down with ample time to truly feast on words and appreciate the story from a different perspective. Very good practice for learning how to live in and savor each small moment, extending and expanding one’s capacity for delight – qualities too often lacking in our rushed world. (Did I mention how much the cats loved the ticklish feel of snowflakes on their fur?) MEANWHILE, this is an author who loves to celebrate words, names and language, and her prose is a trip to read aloud. She certainly has her priorities in order:

As always after an airborne adventure, Miss Petitfour set out a magnificent feast. There was currant toast squishy with butter, caramel-marshmallow squares, strawberry boats oozing custard, chocolate eclairs that exploded with cream when the cats bit into them with their little white teeth and — a special treat for Pleasant — a pie made from thick slices of Bramley apple, with just the right amount of tangy in the tangy-sweet.

More, please.

Emma Block, who also illustrated Tea and Cake (Hardie Grant, 2011), perfectly captures Miss Petitfour’s essence: tall, spindly, bird-like, ethereal, pretty and feminine. Her enchanting watercolors adorn this confection of a book inside and out (pink paisley endpapers with teacups and cakes, ribbon-tagged title pages, wonderful full page spreads (LOVE the picnic) + lots of spot illos of tasty treats. Emma herself is an avid baker and cake lover, and her trademark style, a unique blend of retro + contemporary, gives the book a fresh yet timeless feel. The soft muted colors create a cozy atmosphere, inviting us to settle into the story and stay awhile.

IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE that in addition to liking all the cats’ wonderful names (reminded me of T.S. Eliot’s “The Naming of Cats”) — Hemdela (who likes soup!), Misty (the color of rain on a window), Earring (a Siamese who loves shiny things) — I have a little list of other bits I especially like about this book:

• when the jumble sale items get scrambled out of order: “A tuba had smashed into the Frisbees, a camera had plunked into the tray of fake mustaches — everything had become alphabet soup.” :)
• “bubbling flubdub hubbub”
• the pictures on Minky the cheese lover’s calendar: “blue cheese cavorting with pears, cheddar laughing with apples, Gruyère lounging with grapes, Edam joking with parsley.”
• three “Captain” cats curl up under a pile of crisp autumn leaves to “listen to the whole whispery weight of leaves stirring above them.”
• The-Cream-and-Cream-Bun Cafe (cats’ favorite)
• Miss P drinking tea with Mrs. Collarwaller and making up titles for books too silly ever to be written.
• delicious digressions in ho-hum books: “knitting by the fire with a plate of biscuits and a mug of steaming cocoa . . . buttery shortbread that greases your fingers, jelly doughnuts oozing fruit, eclairs dipped in chocolate and full of air.”
• Did I mention the fake mustaches?
• And the chocolate eclairs?

BY THE WAY AGAIN, The Adventures of Miss Petitfour is probably not for the impatient reader who prefers fast moving, scream-in-your-face action on every page, who cringes at any modicum of twee, or who might have no use for long words “your tongue could get tangled up and lost in” (though “Mrs. Collarwaller found this never to be the case”). ON THE OTHER HAND, this book is definitely for readers who love cats making their own costumes and decorating themselves, confetti explosions, careening wire balls, the hula and fandango, homemade leaf biscuits, detailed lists of edible treats, and going wherever the wind blows.

With that digression, I shall leave you to embark on my own adventure. As it is a clear sunny day, my plain white tablecloth will be all I need. Instead of cats, I will air out 16 teddies. But before I go, another petit four. Why not?

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THE ADVENTURES OF MISS PETITFOUR
written by Anne Michaels
illustrated by Emma Block
published by Tundra Books, November 2015
Chapter Book for ages 6-9, 144 pp.
**Starred Reviews from School Library Journal and Quill and Quire**

♥ Read my Indie Artist Spotlight interview with illustrator Emma Block

♥ Read my review of Emma Block’s Tea and Cake (with lemon teacake recipe)

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*Illustrations from The Adventures of Miss Petitfour posted by permission of the publisher, copyright © 2015 Emma Block, published by Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

While nibbling on some of the delectable poems featured in the recently published anthology Feast: Poetry & Recipes for a Full Seating at Dinner (Black Lawrence Press, 2015), I was pleased and excited to come across Adele Kenny’s “To Blueberries.”

You may remember Adele as a 2012 Poetry Potluck guest, when she shared the poignant “Chosen Ghosts” and her grandmother’s recipe for Staffordshire Irish Stew. It’s nice now to read of her love for blueberries, a lyrical paean that interweaves art masterpieces, a popular song title, and a fond childhood memory with luscious sensory details.

Adele has graciously given me permission to share both her poem and the recipe for Bluemisu that’s included in the anthology, and she’s also provided a bit of interesting backstory. It’s always fascinating to learn a little more about how a poet’s mind works, and of course now we’ll all be craving blueberries for days and days — actually, a good thing. :)

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“Polish Pottery and Blueberries” watercolor by Kara K. Bigda

TO BLUEBERRIES
by Adele Kenny

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,

Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!

– Robert Frost, from “Blueberries”

Imagine the “Mona Lisa” with blueberry eyes;
Vincent Van Gogh’s “Blueberry Night;” imagine
Vermeer’s “Girl with a Blueberry Earring” and
Gainsborough’s “Blueberry Boy.” Imagine
blueberries, one at a time, between stained fingers—
sugary, tart—large or small (not all created equal).
Full in the sun, even their shadows are warm:
silvery patina, bluer than blue sky, bluer than blue.
First the pop and then pulp between your teeth.
Listen to the birds (sparrows, chickadees)—blue
fruit sweet in their beaks. Oh, briarless bush! Bluest
fruit. No core, no seeds. Nothing ever to pit or peel.
Definitely not the forbidden fruit, no Eve down on
her knees—never the cost of paradise. Blueberry
muffins, pancakes, wine! Highbush and low—blue
on the crest of Blueberry Hill—and years ago, my
mother mixing the dough for blueberry pies, the
rolling pin round in her hands (our dog asleep
on the kitchen stair), my father at the table, and
me on his lap, close in the curve of his arm.

~ from Feast: Poetry & Recipes for a Full Seating at Dinner, edited by Diane Goettel and Anneli Matheson (Black Lawrence Press, copyright © 2015), reprinted by permission of the author.

“Blueberry Field” oil painting by Joy Laking

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Adele: The poem took form during an early morning Chelsea soccer match on TV. Chelsea is my favorite team, and blue is the Chelsea color. During halftime, I got up to make myself a bowl of oatmeal into which I sprinkled some blueberries. As I sat eating with my Yorkie (Chaucer, aka “Chaucey”) beside me, a commercial that included something about Vermeer’s painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” interrupted the halftime commentary. It was at that point that I began to imagine the images in the first four lines of the poem. I jotted down the ideas, the match came back on, and I didn’t return to the poem until a week or two after.

The recipe evolved much later when I needed something sweet for a dinner party I was hosting. Because I love blueberries so much, there are usually some in the refrigerator, especially when I find them on sale. They must have been on sale that week because there were four pints just waiting to be included in dessert for the dinner party. Hence, bluemisu!

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BLUEMISU RECIPE

Ingredients

• 3 pints fresh blueberries (in winter, frozen blueberries may be substituted for fresh)
• 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
• juice of 1 medium lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 12-15 ladyfingers
• 1/2 cup of any Raspberry Liquor, Chambord, Crème de Cassis, or Crème de Framboise

Instructions

Combine blueberries, unrefined sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool.

Dip each ladyfinger in whichever liquor you decide to use; be sure to soak both sides of each ladyfinger (about five seconds on each side). After dipping, place each ladyfinger on a board to rest while the liquor is infused.

While the ladyfingers rest, combine the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed until soft peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone cheese and beat to a creamy consistency at a low speed for about two minutes. (If mascarpone cheese is unavailable, you can create a substitute by mixing 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons of sour cream.)

Using a large glass compote, make a ring of ladyfingers around the sides and across the bottom of the compote (trim ladyfingers if necessary). Then spoon a layer of mascarpone cream from step 3 onto the ladyfingers. Next add a layer of the blueberry mixture from step 1, and top that with a layer of ladyfingers. Repeat the layering until the compote is filled and your last layer is mascarpone cream. (Alternatively, you might use a rectangular glass baking dish, or individual dishes.) Chill for about 4 hours. (This dessert keeps well in the refrigerator, so you can prepare it in advance and let it chill overnight.)

Just before serving, garnish with fresh blueberries. Other berries can be added to the garnish if you wish (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries). For chocolate lovers, sprinkle unsweetened cocoa powder or bittersweet chocolate shavings on the top layer of mascarpone cream.

Serves 8-10

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ABOUT ADELE

Adele Kenny is the author of 23 books (poetry & nonfiction). Her poems, reviews, and articles have been published in journals here and abroad, as well as in books and anthologies published by Crown, Tuttle, Shambhala, and McGraw-Hill. Her poetry collection, What Matters (Welcome Rain Publishers, 2011), received the 2012 International Book Award for Poetry. A former creative writing professor in the College of New Rochelle’s Graduate School, Adele is founding director of the Carriage House Poetry Series and has been poetry editor of Tiferet since 2006. Adele is active in readings and conducts both agency-sponsored and private poetry workshops. Her most recent book is A Lightness, A Thirst, or Nothing at All (Welcome Rain Publishers, 2015). Visit her Official Website and The Music in It Poetry Blog, where she features guest bloggers or prompts every Saturday.

Enjoy a sample poem from A Lightness, A Thirst, or Nothing at All:

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SWEET BOY

Blueberry Dog Treats for Adele’s Yorkie Chaucey (click for recipe)

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Lovely Tricia Stohr-Hunt is hosting the Roundup at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Take her some blueberries and check out the full menu of poetic goodness on this week’s menu. Have a happy blueberryish weekend!

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Copyright 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Will Hillenbrand is a celebrated author and illustrator whose published works include nearly sixty books for young readers. In addition to his own self-illustrated titles, he has illustrated the works of writers and retellers including Verna Aardema, Judy Sierra, Margery Cuyler, Judith St. George, Phyllis Root, Jane Yolen, Karma Wilson, Maureen Wright, Daniel Pinkwater and Jane Hillenbrand. Will has lived almost all of his life in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he grew up as the youngest of four boys. He now lives in Terrace Park. (Pictured here taking his first pull of the day of strong black coffee.)

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Coffee black, so strong it makes the day brighter. Like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee best!

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Bear and Bunny, written by Daniel Pinkwater (Candlewick Press, December 2015); All for a Dime: A Bear and Mole Story (Holiday House, July 2015). Forthcoming: Me and Annie McPhee, written by Olivier Dunrea (Philomel, June 2016).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: Please Say Please!: Penguin’s Guide to Manners, written by Margery Cuyler (Scholastic, 2004). 

☕ Visit Will Hillenbrand’s Official Website

☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Book Trailer for Bear and Bunny

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☕☕☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Visit Will in his studio:

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Didn’t someone once say you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

Well, anyone who reads Midori Basho’s Timothy and Sarah: The Homemade Cake Contest (Museyon, 2015) will certainly be able to do both. First published in Japan six years ago, The Homemade Cake Contest is the first title from Basho’s popular 13-book Timothy and Sarah series to be translated into English, and it’s quite scrumptious.

In this charming story, mouse twins Timothy and Sarah are excited about helping Miss Flora and their mother raise funds to restore an old house in the forest. It was once a wonderful café where guests could have tea and chat while their children played outside. If only they could repair the building and reopen the café! Then young and old alike could enjoy it together!

Adorable end papers!

Having a cake-baking contest seems like the perfect way to raise money for needed supplies and materials. After Mother and Miss Flora spread the word about the contest all over town, Timothy and Sarah get to work on their cakes. With a little batter-making help from Mother and Father, the twins happily add their personal touches: a walnut cake for Timothy (his favorite kind of nuts) and a strawberry cake for Sarah (what she most loves to eat). Mother whips up a chocolate cake with powdered sugar stenciled angels, while Father makes the contest medals.

Then it’s time to join the other townspeople at the park to see all the beautiful, fun, and amazing entries. Wow! Tables and tables of cakes in the big tent — “a rose cake, an acorn cake, a steam engine cake, and a little bird cake.” So many good ones! How will the judges pick just one? Just as they’re about to announce the winner, Rick rushes in with a last minute entry. His gorgeous candy house trumps all and takes the prize.

Now everyone buys pieces of the cakes they like, some eating them right there in the park, while others take theirs home. Luckily an elderly gentleman buys Rick’s candy house because it’s too difficult to cut into pieces. It’ll be a special gift for his sick wife because it looks just like the house they used to live in.

After selling the cakes’ recipes in addition to cookies and bread, they’re able to raise enough money, and everyone pitches in to repair the old house, which they decide to model after Rick’s candy house. With a little landscaping, the project is successfully completed and the town gathers for a big housewarming party.

(click to enlarge)

Aside from the adorable illustrations of many mice making and eating many cakes, this heartwarming story offers a wealth of teachable moments related to cooperation, good sportsmanship, healthy competition, mastering new skills, teamwork, and community service. Kids will love studying all the details in the pictures and will be anxious to try making and/or decorating their own cakes. This veritable banquet of creativity extols the rewards of pitching in for the good of the whole and valuing the unique contributions of the individual.

(click to enlarge)

Since this is a work in translation, I should mention that the text runs a little long and could have been streamlined in places. The fact that one person entered a pie in the contest and that Rick’s “cake” was made entirely of candy gave me pause. But the story has an appealing premise with a satisfying ending, and it would be a rare child who wouldn’t delight in and drool over all the elaborately decorated cakes. I also like the emphasis on restoring the café as a place especially for the elderly to gather with young children. The very old and the very young do have a special bond, as Joseph Campbell states in The Mask of God:

The old in many societies spend a considerable part of their time playing with and taking care of the youngsters, while the parents delve and spin: so that the old are returned to the sphere of eternal things not only within but without. And we may take it also, I should think, that the considerable mutual attraction of the very young and the very old may derive something from their common, secret knowledge that it is they, and not the busy generation between, who are concerned with a poetic play that is eternal and truly wise.”

From young to old, and old to young — a human being’s full circle journey. What seemed especially “Japanese” to me was this reverence and respect for the elderly, something that is inherent in Asian culture but is sometimes lacking in Western society, where old people become invisible and are often cast aside. In The Homemade Cake Contest, the elderly are a vital part of the community, and I think it’s important for children to see that. This sweet story with its old fashioned flavor is interesting on several levels. Enjoy it with a cup of warm tea. :)

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TIMOTHY AND SARAH: THE HOMEMADE CAKE CONTEST
written and illustrated by Midori Basho
translated by Mariko Shii Gharbi
published in the United States by Museyon, Inc., April 2015
Picture Book for ages 5-7, 32 pp.

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*Interior spreads posted by permission of the publisher, copyright © 2010 Midori Basho, published by Museyon, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

TOMATOES, TOMATOES, TOMATOES!

Sing a song of plump, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes! Is there anything better than freshly picked homegrown beauties with their promise of mouthwatering soups, salads, sandwiches, salsa, and sauces? Or why not just eat them all by themselves? Hold the essence of summer in your hand, inhale the fragrance of lazy sunny days, then bite into that tempting globe of delight, letting the juice run down your chin. Mmmmmm!

Though it’s winter now in my part of the world, this brand new rhyming picture book by Eric Ode and Kent Culotta has me dreaming of dining al fresco with a cup of zesty gazpacho, a sassy tomato tart, bruschetta pomodoro, panzanella, caprese, veggie pizza and fresh pasta with arugula and parmesan. I could easily whip up all these dishes with the barrels and buckets and bushels of tomatoes described in Too Many Tomatoes (Kane Miller, 2016). :)

Art copyright © 2016 Kent Culotta (click to enlarge)

This joyous, rollicking paean to America’s favorite garden vegetable (and yes, botanically, it’s considered a fruit) is narrated by a spirited young boy who spends the day with his grandparents, helping them pick, crate, and transport the bounty of tomatoes from the garden to the local farmers market.

Grandfather’s garden
is popping with peas.
It’s buzzing with blossoms
and bumbly bees.

It’s bursting with berries
and beans and potatoes
and tall, twining vines of
too many tomatoes.

Ode’s pitch perfect toe-tapping rhymes and Culotta’s exuberant illustrations invite the reader to jump right in and join all the fun. The boy’s enthusiasm is positively contagious as he describes how Grandpa first planted the seeds and how excited they were when sprout after sprout came up.

The garden produced such an abundant yield that they had more than enough to share with friends and neighbors before loading up the rest on the truck to take to their stand at the market.

Down to the sidewalk,
and down to the street,
drippy and slippery,
juicy and sweet.

Red ones and yellow ones,
shiny and round,
jumbling, tumbling
over the ground.

I love how this story is infused with the warmth of family and community, how a seed of good intentions blossoms into gestures of outreach and interaction. All kinds of people were able to enjoy the tomatoes in their own distinctive ways.

One for the teacher,
and one for the tailor.
One for the scientist.
One for the sailor.

One for the painter,
and one for the plumber.
One for the dancer,
and one for the drummer.

(click to enlarge)

Later there’s even a big tomato parade downtown (love those bright red uniforms), followed by a delicious dinner featuring fresh tomato in a green salad, tomato pie, tomato kabobs, and of course pasta with tomato sauce. Truly a tomato lover’s dream come true!

Too Many Tomatoes is great fun to read aloud; the “too many tomatoes” variable refrain effectively amplifies the boy’s excitement and the celebratory mood of the entire story. Kids will also enjoy counting the tomatoes in each picture and seeing how the same vegetable figures in different scenarios (the scientist examines it under a microscope, the painter uses hers as a still life subject, the whistling sailor tosses his in the air as he saunters along).

And it’s nice to see an active, energetic pair of grandparents wholly engaged with their grandson. Grandpa with his fiddle, Grandma dancing, both of them running in the field and marching in the parade with joyous abandon — certainly not your stereotypical rocking chair doddling pair.

Together, Ode and Culotta have created a jubilant feel-good book that will elicit lots of smiles, requests for rereadings, and the inevitable cravings for tomato dishes. There’s no such thing as too many tomatoes when one can reap this much good will, and nothing tastes better than food that is shared.

So, did Eric and Kent like tomatoes when they were kids, and what’s their favorite way to eat them?

Kent: I’m an Italian boy, so my all time favorite go-to dish is pasta with tomato sauce. I’m afraid that I’m not much of a cook. I keep things pretty simple, so I don’t have any special recipes. I do wish that I had my Grandmother’s recipe for her tomato sauce, though. It was the best ever. I was a pretty finicky eater as a kid, but I do remember liking dishes with tomatoes in them. Another favorite was something my mom called “spanish rice” that had big chunks of tomato in it.

Eric: Yes, I think I’ve always liked tomatoes. And I love raising tomatoes. I love the smell of the vines when you’re harvesting. There’s nothing else that has that particular, wonderful smell. I’m always happy to eat tomatoes fresh. A good tomato in season, all on its own, is a real treat! But I’m also a fan of broiled tomatoes (halved, sprinkled with garlic salt, grated parmesan, basil, maybe a little butter), tomato salads (a variety of fresh tomatoes with cucumber, fresh basil, Kalamata olives, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and feta cheese), and any sandwich or pizza done in a margherita style. I’ll share an example as a recipe.

via Marzetti Kitchens

Grilled Open Face Mozzarella Sandwich

From bottom to top…
Slice of artisan bread, spread w/ a bit of olive oil on top side
Lightly dash with garlic salt
Layer of fresh mozzerella
Sliced fresh tomato
Fresh basil
Low broil until warm and absolutely delicious.

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Mmmmmmmm! Time for lunch! Thanks for creating this delightfully delicious book, Eric and Kent!

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TOO MANY TOMATOES
written by Eric Ode
illustrated by Kent Culotta
published by Kane Miller, March 2016
Picture Book for ages 4-8, 40 pp.
Cool themes: nature, gardening, farmers markets, sustainability, family, sharing, multigenerational stories, rhymes
** Visit the Usborne Books and More website to order your copies (official pub date is March, but it’s available now)!

*** Click here for Too Many Tomatoes Lessons and Activities

*** Click here for the Official Book Trailer

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Enjoy this video of Eric shining the spotlight on Too Many Tomatoes:

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The lovely and talented Catherine Flynn is hosting the Roundup at Reading to the Core. Do you think she knows how to juggle tomatoes? Skip on over and check out the full menu of poetic goodies on this week’s menu. Eat something tomato-y this weekend!

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*Interior spreads from Too Many Tomatoes posted by permission of the publisher, text copyright © 2016 Eric Ode, illustrations © 2016 Kent Culotta, published by Kane Miller Books. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Dan Yaccarino is an internationally acclaimed artist, author, and producer who has created over 50 children’s books as well as his own animated television series. He has garnered many prestigious awards as well as an invitation to the White House to read his books.

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: I usually drink a cup of Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea. I quit coffee about 2 years ago. I promise not to prosthelytize about the evils of caffeine.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Five Little Bunnies, written by Tish Rabe (HarperFestival, January 2016);  Zorgoochi Intergalactic Pizza: Delivery of Doom (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 2014); Doug Unplugged (Knopf, 2013).  Forthcoming: Class Pet Squad: Journey to the Center of Town (Feiwel & Friends, June 2016);  three board books in the Happyland Series: Birthday Cake, Big Berry, Rainy Day (Workman, August 2016); I Am A Story (HarperCollins, October 2016).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett (Atheneum, 1982). I always loved reading that book to my kids. I’m kind of a foodie, but not the fancy type. I travel a lot and wherever I go, I try to seek out the hole in the wall place that only the locals go to have that one particular item that is unique to that area.

☕ Visit Dan Yaccarino’s Official Website and YouTube Channel

☕ ☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Book trailers for Zorgoochi Intergalactic Pizza: Delivery of Doom + Doug Unplugged

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☕ ☕ ☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: More about Dan’s books!

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☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ STILL THIRSTY!!: Check out Mr. Cornelius’s favorite episode from Dan’s Emmy-winning animated series, Willa’s Wild Life, “Unbearable Bear”!

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Somewhere in San Francisco, Osaka-born artist Miyuki Sakai is busy creating yet another gorgeous sewing illustration.

Using only a standard sewing machine, about 200 different thread colors, and a basic straight stitch, she fashions amazing pictures of everyday objects and scenes, from the dining room and kitchen, to the office, street, cafe, garden, and supermarket.

Miyuki grew up watching her mother make clothes and decided to adopt the sewing machine as her primary tool. After graduating from art college in Kyoto, she worked as a freelance illustrator in Tokyo before emigrating to the U.S.

Her unique style is characterized by lush colors, meticulous detail, and studied compositions. She works freehand, leaving uncut threads that give her illustrations a charming human touch.

Back in 2011, she earned a Bronze Medal in Editorial Design (NY ADC Awards) for her “Viva la Tarte!” stitched plates that showcased real food in Martha Stewart Living.

Her work has also been featured in various periodicals such as Country Home, Vogue, GQ, Seventeen, and The New York Times Magazine, and she’s done ads for SONY, Nordstrom, Microsoft, and Hitachi, among others.

At her site, she shares photos of her “darling sewing machine” and her “good friends” (BandAids). :) I’m totally in awe.

See more of Miyuki’s work at her Official Website and the Tokyo Illustrator’s Society.

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Mixed Media Soup Collage by Melissa Sweet

Since January is National Soup Month, thought we’d celebrate with a bit of art, a heartening song and a bowl of homemade soup. :)

Pictured above is one of my prize possessions — an original Melissa Sweet watercolor I won in a Small Graces auction back in 2010. It all started in 2009 when Newbery Honor author/illustrator Grace Lin donated 11 original paintings to benefit the Foundation for Children’s Books (now Wondermore). In 2010, twelve different illustrators donated their work, and each month a new painting was auctioned off.

Guess what was featured in January? Melissa Sweet’s SOUP painting had my name written all over it and I was thrilled when I won. This piece continues to feed my soul every single day. :)

What’s that? You’re hungry and wish you had a nice bowl of soup to slurp right this minute?

All in good time, my friends. Our soup needs a little longer to cook. Besides, I think you should earn your soup, don’t you? A little singing for your supper wouldn’t hurt one bit.

Enjoy John McCutcheon’s wonderful “Soup” — always tasty, uplifting and satisfying. When you hear the chorus, “Smells like winter in our house,” it’s hard NOT to sing along. This is a tune that warms the heart and takes you right back home. Ahhhhhh. SOUP!

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SOUP
words and music by John McCutcheon and Si Kahn

Get off the bus and I can see my breath
Air’s so cold that you could freeze to death
I turn up my collar and the wind starts to blowing
Sky turns gray and it starts to snowing
I put down my head, it’s only two blocks more
Make it to my house and then I open the door

Smells like winter in our house
Smells like winter in our house
It smells like winter in our house
It smells like soup

When my Dad was a kid in my Grandma’s home
She taught him how to start with the old soup bone
You put the water, carrots, celery, and onions in the pot
It only takes a little of whatever you’ve got
“There ain’t no way to hurry it,” my Grandma would remind
“Anything worth waiting for is gonna take time”

(Repeat Chorus)

All day long I hear it simmering in the pot
Sneak up to the lid, be careful it’s hot
Lift up the corner and I take a little sniff
Close my eyes and take a great big whiff
Go and get a tablespoon, to steal a little taste
I got a big soup smile all over my face

(Repeat Chorus)

Bean soup, chicken soup with macaroni
Cream of broccoli, minestrone
Potato soup, tomato soup, chowder made of clam
Miso soup, mushroom soup, split pea with ham
Bouillon, scallion, tom kha ghai with lemongrass
Matzoh ball, chilibean, cream of asparagus

So it doesn’t even matter if the cold winds blow
If the rivers freeze and there’s three feet of snow
From my Dad and my Grandma it’s what I got
The put a whole lotta love in that old black pot
In my mind I see a little boy, a distant winter day
He’s standing at the door and I can hear him say

(Repeat Chorus)

©1995 John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP) & Joe Hill Music (ASCAP)
Charlottesville, VA 1995.
From Wintersongs (RR8038)

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Wonderful, wonderful happy-making music. Heard recently that John has had to cancel all his January and February tour dates due to illness. If you enjoy his music and want to toss a little love his way, why not pick up a little something from his shop? His most recent CD is Joe Hill’s Last Will, but you can also select any of his other CDs, DVDs, a t-shirt, a book, even songwriting lessons. Think of it like each of his fans adding a pinch of goodwill to a big pot of healing soup. :) Get well soon, John!

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TIME FOR PEACE SOUP!

Mmmmm, I think our soup’s ready! Can you smell it? It’s been simmering for just the right amount of time and now with each gentle bub bub bubble it’s eager for us to dip our spoons right in and take a taste. Oh yes, nice, nice soup, come to mama. The recipe for Peace Soup is from Blue Moon Soup: A Family Cookbook (Sky Pony Press, 1999). This oldie-but-goodie gem contains 30+ recipes by Gary Goss, former owner/chef at the Soup Kitchen Restaurant in Northampton, MA.

I confess I purchased the book because of the beautiful illustrations by Jane Dyer. I’ve been a fan of her work since the late 80’s when I saw The Three Bears Rhyme Book (written by Jane Yolen). How could I resist Animal Crackers, the Piggins books, and Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s cookie books? Love love love Jane’s gentle whimsical style. Her nattily attired animals, checkered floors, and dancing fruit and veggies send me into a swoon. I always wish I could live in her enchanting pictures; they represent the idyllic childhood I’ve always dreamed about.

Peace Soup illustration by Jane Dyer (Limited Edition prints available).

Up until a few days ago, I hadn’t actually tried any of Gary’s soup recipes. I found Peace Soup in the Winter section. I was curious to taste the green soup the handsome lion and adorable lamb were sharing in that warm comfy bed. Yes, there are peas in Peace Soup! But also carrot, celery, onion, butter, milk and curry powder. True to Gary’s signature method, the recipe doesn’t call for any stock. The flavors all come from sautéing the veggies and spices first in butter, then blending them with water and milk. Oh, the aromatic curry and ginger! The kitchen smelled so good while the soup was simmering. :)

This is a simple, kid-friendly recipe that makes a nice lunch with a side of crusty bread. I used one teaspoon of curry powder and it was plenty. If you have an immersion blender you’re all set. What a lovely way to take the chill off a winter day. Enjoy!

Star croutons by Mr. Cornelius

PEACE SOUP

Stuff:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small leek, chopped (1 to 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon curry powder (2 teaspoons if you love curry)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• garnish: fresh mint or carrot curls

Stuff to do:

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot on medium heat.

2. Add the leek, mint, ginger if using, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the peas, carrot, celery, and just enough water to cover them (about 2 cups), and stir.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

5. In a blender or a large bowl, blend or mash 2 cups of the soup with the milk until thick and silky smooth.

6. Return the blended soup to the soup pot, and stir.

7. Ladle into bowls and garnish.

makes 4 to 6 servings

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ONE MORE SLURP

♥ Learn more about Jane Dyer’s other books at her Official Website and Blog.

♥ You can purchase original watercolors and wonderful prints of Jane’s work at R. Michelson Galleries.

♥ Jane is this week’s hotTEA of Children’s Literature!

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Tara Smith is hosting the Roundup at A Teaching Life. After you’ve had another bowl of soup, click through and check out the full menu of poetic goodies on this week’s menu. Have a nice weekend!

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

I began my career as a kindergarten teacher and my students’ parents said I should be illustrating children’s books. My first book was GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS in 1984, and I have illustrated over sixty books since then. (Pictured here with my lamb Blossom in our summer playhouse in Western Massachusetts.)

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: My newest favorite tea is Peppermint Bark from The Republic of Tea, which is made with organic green rooibos, peppermint, vanilla, and cocoa. But I begin each morning with their Double Dark Chocolate Maté. As you can see, there is a theme here.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: The House That’s Your Home, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones (Schwartz & Wade, February 2015). Forthcoming: All We Know, written by Linda Ashman (HarperCollins, March 2016).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK(s): Thundercake by Patricia Polacco (Philomel, 1990); Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters and Ann Arnold (HarperCollins, 1992); Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (HarperCollins, 2006) and Blue Moon Soup: A Family Cookbook, written by Gary Goss (Sky Pony Press, 2013).

☕ Visit Jane Dyer’s Official Website and blog.

☕ ☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Read aloud of Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons:

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☕ ☕ ☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love:

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Forest Feast Paper Placemats

1. Northern California author, food photographer, and blogger Erin Gleeson has written a new cookbook, The Forest Feast for Kids (Abrams BYR, 2016)  that will be released on February 16 and is now available for pre-order! If you’re familiar with her popular blog or first book, The Forest Feast (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2014), you know that she features simple, delicious vegetarian recipes + gorgeous photos + fanciful hand-lettering and watercolors.

Kids will enjoy learning how to make healthy dishes inspired by fresh local produce and Gleeson’s beautiful natural surroundings (have you seen her idyllic cabin in the woods?). “In addition to its recipes—which span meals, party food, snacks, and beverages—this nonfiction book includes ideas for crafty table decoration, party ideas, an illustrated guide on kitchen safety, and a glossary of culinary terms.”

Forest Feast Notebook Bundle

To complement Erin’s cookbooks, there are lovely notebooks, a meal planner/ shopping list magnetic notepad, paper placemats (these come in five stunning designs), notecards with envelopes and a wall calendar — all perfect for adding some warmth, color and fun to your day. :)

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2. Have you checked out Litographs? They make cool t-shirts, tote bags, temporary tattoos and posters using the full text of literary works. They’re adding new designs all the time to their collection of classic and contemporary books. I like that they’ve partnered with the International Book Bank to send a new book to a community in need for every t-shirt, tote bag, poster or every 5 tattoos they sell. They offer free shipping to anywhere in the U.S. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Little Women

Anne of Green Gables

Check out this video to see how they make their t-shirts:

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3. I’m still thinking about Margie Culver’s “15 Dog Books” series at Librarian’s Quest. If you follow her blog you know that Margie writes the best book reviews — always insightful and thoroughly engaging. After she lost Xena, her beloved chocolate lab and constant companion of 15 years, she decided to pay tribute to this extraordinary dog by featuring 15 recently published dog books (picture books, chapter books, novels, and Maira Kalman’s Beloved Dog).

As much as I loved the reviews, I enjoyed even more the anecdotes and stories about Xena she included in each post. Whether you’re a dog lover or not, I think you’ll be moved and inspired by how Margie describes the deep human-canine connection, the intelligence, fierce loyalty, courage, and playfulness of dogs she’s experienced firsthand and as these traits are explored in the stories, several of which are told from a dog’s point of view.

There’s something for every reader in Margie’s chosen 15, whether you’re a fan of humor, suspense, family stories, or adventure. Click here to go to the first post in the series featuring Michael J. Rosen’s The Tale of Rescue, illustrated by Stan Fellows (Candlewick, 2015), and you’ll likely want to read on and on.

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“Cat Bakery” by Aram Kim

4. Every once in awhile, while casually browsing Pinterest, I’ll stumble upon a cute illustration that makes me smile. Not too long ago, “Cat Bakery” by Aram Kim meowed at me, so naturally I had to find out more about the artist. I was tickled pink to discover that in addition to adorable dog and cat pictures, NYC-based Aram has a thing for drawing food! :) I promptly bookmarked her site with plans to contact her in the future.

Spread from Aram’s WIP, “Kimchi Pancakes”

It could have been the cats, the bakery, spicy kimchi, or a mutual love of dumplings, but out of the blue Aram emailed me a couple of weeks ago, after following a 7-Imp link to my review of Miracle on 133rd Street. She was happy to discover Alphabet Soup and told me she’s currently working on a food-related picture book called Kimchi Pancakes. Yum! Her debut picture book, Cat on the Bus (Holiday House, 2016), will be out this Fall. Generous Aram also created a special “Cat Bakery” blog header for Alphabet Soup (feast your eyes ⬆⬆⬆). Totally purrrfect, of course! Is there anything better than connecting with kindred spirits? Just goes to show the power of FOOD! Be sure to visit Aram’s website to see more of her charming work!

You can purchase some of Aram’s designs on t-shirts, phone cases, tote bags, etc., at Society 6. Click on the image to find out more about this yummy Brownie Sundae throw pillow.

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5. Any time you need a little lift, click over to the National Zoo’s Giant Panda Cam, where you can visit with mama panda Mei Xiang and her adorable cub Bei Bei. While it’s fun to watch Mei munch munch munch on bamboo leaves and catch Bei Bei rolling around on the floor or napping, probably the most adorable thing is when Mei cuddles with Bei Bei. So sweet and heart-melting! But you have to be vigilant and check in frequently. Love watching them!

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6. Always a pleasure to drop by They Draw & Cook to see what’s new. This tasty site now features more than 5400 recipes illustrated by artists from around the world, and founders Nate and Salli have so far published 10 books — some are collections featuring single artists, while others feature a curated selection of artists. The Illustrative Chef, the latest in the single artist series, features the bold and vibrant stylings of Edinburgh based former-professional-chef-turned-illustrator Liv Wan. If her bright, eye-popping colors don’t wake you up, nothing else will.

In addition to the recent TDAC book, Liv has published a cookbook of Taiwanese recipes and a children’s book about the Edinburgh Zoo. She’s also worked on projects for the likes of The Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh, the Highland Council and the UK Foodies Festival, among others. I love her food maps!

Click to see details of Liv’s Scottish Food Map.

Be sure to visit Liv’s beautiful website to see more of her work — guaranteed to make you feel happy!

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7. If you’re a Susan Branch fan, you’ve likely already read The Fairy Tale Girl (Spring Street Publishing, 2015) which came out last Fall. I purchased a copy for myself and several for Christmas gifts, but have yet to crack it open — though it’s right there at the tippy top of my tottering TBR pile. Since I thoroughly enjoyed A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside (2013), I can’t wait to read this first of two prequels (the second prequel, Martha’s Vineyard, Isle of Dreams, will be out in May).

Based on the diaries Susan has kept since she was in her 20s, THE FAIRY TALE GIRL is book one of a two part series. Together the books are an illustrated memoir, charmingly designed in Susan’s style with her whimsical watercolors and personal photographs. It’s an enchanting story of love and loss, mystery and magic that begins in a geranium-colored house in California, and ends up, like any good fairy tale, on the right side of the rabbit hole, in a small cottage in the woods on the New England Island of Martha’s Vineyard.

THE FAIRY TALE GIRL humorously explores Susan’s journey as an artist and as a girl/woman, from the 1950s through the 1980s. In the first book of the series we get a revealing view of Susan’s early life as the oldest of eight children and the marriage she imagined would be forever; it’s filled with inspiration, romance and discovery, and a leap into the unknown.

If you’ve read The Fairy Tale Girl, how did you like it?

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8. Just in case you missed it, wanted to point you to Cynthia D. Bertelsen’s excellent blog series, “On the Shelves of Elves: A Baker’s Dozen of British Cookbooks for the Christmas Season” at Gherkins and Tomatoes.

Even though traditional American cuisine is British to the core, with borrowings – not appropriations – from other cultures, the media lately has been full of commentaries such as this. In an attempt to put a more scholarly and rational spin on it, I am beginning by pointing out 13 relatively recent British cookbooks, all with a historical slant. Just in time for Christmas giving, BTW, these books well illustrate the vast and diverse and key source recipes that indeed formed the roots of what is called Southern, and American, cuisine. 

This series is obviously an Anglophile’s delight, great not only for those interested in culinary history and exploring the wider context associated with traditional British foods and its influences on American cooking, but with books such as Mary Gwynn’s WI Cookbook (2015), that traces the activities of the Women’s Institute, we see how the roles of women changed over several decades as they gradually moved from the private world of their households into the public sphere inhabited by men.

Fine and fascinating, for the W.I. appeared to be much like the Junior League, a similar American organization for women. Both groups arose at a time when social mores restricted women’s activities and both groups produced cookbooks for charitable purposes, a practice that began during the Civil War years in America (1861-1865). 

Start here with Book #1, Florence White’s Good Things in England (1932), then check out the other 12 titles in the series, all listed in the post.

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9. Speaking of food illustration, I’ve mentioned Boston-based artist Kendyll Hillegas a couple of times since I interviewed her back in 2014, and with good reason. She continues to amaze me with her meticulously crafted realistic food portraits. She was one of the most generous Indie Spotlight interviewees, taking the time to describe her process step-by-step in great detail.

All along, she’d been answering illustration questions on her tumblr blog, Instagram, etc., and now, due to popular demand, she’s started her own YouTube Channel, where she’ll continue to offer tips and demonstrations for aspiring artists and illustration junkies. Now you can see just how she works her magic, layer by layer, with fascinating time-lapse videos. Check out the work of this very talented artist if you haven’t already done so; she also just happens to be one of the sweetest people I’ve met online.

Here’s her introductory video:

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Alrighty, that’s it for this time. Have a great Tuesday and a happy, productive week! Don’t forget to be kind.

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Matt wrote and illustrated his first picture book as his senior thesis at Bates College in 1997. That book, Zachary’s Ball, was published by Candlewick Press in 2000. Since then, Matt has published fifteen more books, and is working on more. Matt lives in Maine with his wife and two daughters.

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Coffee, with a bit of Hood golden egg nog (when seasonally appropriate), preferably out of my Mazza Museum mug.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESS: Growing up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made it from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues (Candlewick, February 2015). Forthcoming: Crossing Niagara: The Death-Defying Tightrope Adventures of the Great Blondin (Candlewick, April 2016).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner (Clarion, 1992).

☕ Visit Matt Tavares’s Official Website. Don’t forget to check out his online shop, where you can order signed giclée prints and hardcover copies of all his books!

☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Growing up Pedro Book Trailer:

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☕ ☕☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Matt and Growing Up Pedro were recently featured on Portland’s Channel 8 News “Made in Maine” Segment:

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

via The Sunday Times

HOLY MARMALADE!

The one and only Michael Bond is 90 years old today!

All of us here at Alphabet Soup — especially the 50-something resident Paddingtons — are in a full out tizzy of joy. We’ve been rereading the stories, noshing on marmalade sandwiches, sloshing about in our wellies, and ever-so-politely tipping our bush hats to honor the man who gave us our beloved bear from Darkest Peru some 57 years ago.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Rescuing a lone bear from a department store shelf on Christmas Eve says a lot about a man. This small kindhearted gesture would prove to be delightfully fortuitous, spawning a bear chapter book written in just 10 days, 25 more published novels, numerous picture books, board books, an avalanche of Paddington-related toys and other merchandise, several television series, a play, and an award-winning motion picture. Paddington’s likeness has appeared on postage stamps and marmalade jars, and a Paddington balloon was recently introduced in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Paddington as a stop-motion puppet for his FilmFair television series (1975).

As my most favorite bear character ever, Paddington is as charming as they come with his unfailing optimism and politeness, capital bargaining skills, strong sense of right and wrong, uncanny knack for getting out of scrapes, and masterful hard stare. It’s no wonder he’s a British institution  — he seems to bring out the best in people, and his immigrant status — a stranger in a strange land — makes him instantly relatable as well as refreshingly contemporary. If I spotted him on a railway platform, I’d adopt him in a minute.

Wagon full of advertising Paddingtons (he briefly went astray and pushed Marmite instead of marmalade). Quite a fiasco.

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9 BEARY NICE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MICHAEL BOND AND PADDINGTON BEAR

photo by Geoff Pugh via The Telegraph

1. Paddington was inspired in part by Mr. Bond’s father, a very polite man who got into scrapes and always wore a hat — even while wading in the sea.

2. When Mr. Bond was growing up in Reading, Berkshire, he liked to visit the railway station to watch the steam locomotives. Later, during WWII, he sometimes saw child evacuees there with tags around their necks carrying suitcases (city children escaping the Blitz and Jewish refugees) — a sad sight that profoundly affected him.

3. Mr. Bond began writing while serving in the British Army during WWII. In addition to publishing short stories, he wrote radio and TV plays during his spare time while working for the BBC. He was an avid reader as a child, favoring a magazine called “The Magnet,” where he noted the value of catch phrases and repetition — something he would later use in his Paddington books. He started out writing plot-driven stories; Paddington taught him to write character-driven fiction. He maintains that Paddington is a very real person to him.

4. He never intended to write a children’s book. As a writing exercise (after catching sight of the bear stocking stuffer he’d purchased for his wife), he imagined what it would be like if a real bear landed at Paddington Station. He named the bear Paddington, since they lived near the station, gave the bear his clothes (an army surplus duffle coat and hat) + a love for marmalade (since he liked toast and marmalade for breakfast), and used familiar places in his story like Portobello Road and Notting Hill.

First Edition Paddington novels.

5. Mr. Bond’s daughter Karen was born two months after the first Paddington book was published (1958), and some of her childhood experiences found their way into subsequent stories. Karen was born with a debilitating hip condition requiring numerous surgeries and many years in the hospital. These experiences heightened Mr. Bond’s awareness of the desperate need for medical research into a wide range of diseases and disabilities, eventually prompting him to offer his (and Paddington’s) support to Action Medical Research. Paddington has been AMR’s Official Mascot for 40 years, participating in many fundraising events. A former AMR trustee, today Karen is the Managing Director of Paddington & Co.

Michael with Karen (age 6), via Journalist Portfolio.

via Action Medical Research for Children (click to read Karen’s article)

6. Recently a group of mums in Sheffield, England, organized “Project Paddington” to address the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq. They collected and shipped 25,000 teddy bears with handwritten welcome messages donated by children to give to refugee children. They also raised approximately £40,000 for Tearfund’s Refugee Crisis Fund and Samara’s Aid Appeal. Through the magic of social media, this local grassroots effort rapidly expanded to include 560 school districts across the UK with support pledges from around the world. Personal messages like, “When you hug this bear, remember somebody loves you” were both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Bears donated by Portreath CP School (Primary), Cornwall (photo by Sophie Orme).

Paddington’s likeness even made an appearance in last September’s big Solidarity with Refugees rally in London, where tens of thousands gathered to show their support.

via photographer Thom Davies

7. Paddington travels in royal circles! Both Prince Harry and Prince William seem to have a soft spot for him. The medical students at St. Mary’s Hospital gave Prince William his Paddington when he was born, and when George came along, William purchased a Paddington for him from Harrods. Prince William was also delighted to be greeted by Paddington when the movie premiered in China.

via Daily Star

As for Harry, he totally rocked a Paddington apron while making little cakes during a charity event in Lesotho. :)

8. Speaking of the “Paddington” movie, it was named Best Feature Film of 2015 at BAFTA’s Children’s Awards! Hooray! Even more good news — a sequel is in the works even as we speak. :)

9. Mr. Bond was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to children’s literature in the Fall of 2015. He was previously awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1997. Paddington attended both the OBE and CBE ceremonies at Buckingham Palace with Mr. Bond, even though Mr. Bond was a little worried about Paddington sneaking in a marmalade sandwich under his hat despite the palace “no food” policy.

photo by Yui Mok/PA via BT.com

Mr. Bond with his daughter Karen Jankel

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TIME FOR MARMALADE!

To celebrate Mr. Bond’s birthday, the resident Paddingtons made marmalade sandwiches and a yummy Yogurt-Marmalade Cake. Naturally they also brewed a nice pot of tea and would love for you to help yourself.

The Yogurt-Marmalade Cake recipe is from Ree Drummond and seemed just the thing for those who like a simple tea cake with a sticky marmalade and yogurt glaze drizzled over it. The full cup of plain lowfat yogurt in the cake batter adds a sour cream-like richness without all the calories (not that Paddington needs to diet). The recipe is so easy to make, even accident-prone Paddington couldn’t mess it up. Wait. On second thought . . .

YOGURT-MARMALADE CAKE

Cake Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 heaping cup plain, lowfat yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 whole zest of lemon
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Orange Glaze

• 1/2 cup prepared orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup yogurt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray or grease and flour it.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and canola oil until just combined; do not over beat.

Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan.

While cake is cooling, pour marmalade into a sauce pan. Heat it on low until melted, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup of yogurt to the pan and turn off the heat. Stir to combine, then pour slowly over the top of the cake, allowing icing to pool around the sides.

Serves 12

~ Adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s recipe.

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THE MANY FACES OF PADDINGTON

While you’re enjoying your tea and cake, check out this little gallery featuring Paddington as he’s been illustrated by different artists over the years, and as he’s been produced as a plush toy by different manufacturers.

Illustrators

Peggy Fortnum, original illustrator (1958)

Fred Banbery (first published 1972)

Ivor Wood (first published 1975)

David McKee (first published 1984)

Barry Macey (first published 1984)

R.W. Alley, current illustrator (since 1997)

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Plush Toy Makers

Gabrielle Designs (first to make a plush Paddington in 1972).

Eden Toys (since 1975).

More Eden Toys

Rainbow Designs

Yottoy

Limited Edition Steiff (2015)

Movie Paddingtons by Yottoy and Rainbow Designs

Well, I think he’s quite handsome no matter what, and it’s fun to see his different looks. Whether you like him with or without wellies, fluffy fur or smooth, dressed in his classic duffle coat or one of his occupational outfits, his essence remains the same: a bear with a good heart and impeccable manners who represents tolerance, acceptance, and traditional values, and who’s able to endear himself to people of all ages, ethnicities, and political persuasions. So much more than just a storybook character, Paddington marches on for charity, health, and humanity. He’s just the sort of  bear you can count on — quite like the man who created him. :)

via BBC

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY, MR. BOND!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

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♥ Other Paddington posts at Alphabet Soup

• The Bear in the Window and Paddington’s Bread and Butter Pudding with Marmalade
• Love from Paddington by Michael Bond
• Thursday Elevenses: Reading from A Bear Called Paddington
• Five Paws Up for Paddington Bear’s Apple Tart
• Happy 50th Anniversary to Paddington Bear!
• Please Look After This Bear. Thank You!

Hmmmm, 90 seems to be a good number. We presently have 50-something resident Paddingtons. Only 30-something more to go . . . :)

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

What an exciting day in the world of Children’s Literature!

The 2016 Youth Media Awards were announced this morning at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting in Boston. There’s nothing like the element of surprise or witnessing a “first” to add to all the excitement. This marks the first time a Latino author has won the prestigious Newbery Medal, and a rare instance when a picture book has won the Newbery, which is typically awarded to a middle grade novel.

Huge Congrats to Matt de la Peña! Way to shake things up!! Last Stop on Market Street also earned a Caldecott Honor Medal for Christian Robinson’s awesome illustrations. This affirms my belief that picture books are truly for all ages. Good literature is good literature. :)

2016 NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER + CALDECOTT HONOR MEDAL

I ‘m also thrilled that Finding Winnie won the Caldecott Medal! Bear book bear book bear book!! I’m a longtime Sophie Blackall fan and I’m glad her supreme talent has finally been recognized in this way. What a year she’s had! Finding Winnie was written by Lindsay Mattick and you’ll find a wonderful round table discussion about this book (featuring author, illustrator, editor, art director) at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

2016 CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER

The brilliant Jerry Pinkney (who’s in a category all his own) won BOTH the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for substantial and lasting contribution to children’s literature AND the Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Wow!

Here are a few more highlights:

CORETTA SCOTT KING AUTHOR AWARD: Rita Williams-Garcia

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CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR AWARD + CALDECOTT HONOR MEDAL: Bryan Collier

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PURA BELPRE AUTHOR AWARD + YALSA FINALIST FOR NONFICTION: Margarita Engle

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PURA BELPRE ILLUSTRATOR AWARD: Rafael Lopez

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ROBERT F. SIBERT MEDAL FOR INFORMATIONAL BOOK: Duncan Tonatiuh

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MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: Laura Ruby

We extend our heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!!

Click here for the full list!!

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

“Tea is quiet and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty.” (James Norwood Pratt)

Hello Friends, Hello Brand New Year!

It’s nice to be back, breathe a sigh of relief, and settle into a winter of quiet contemplation after a busy holiday season.

I’m a hibernating homebody by nature, likely part-bear, so I thrive on days when it’s too cold to venture out. I’m perfectly content to cozy up with a good book (the towering TBR pile always in view), read, sip sip sip tea, write, and bake (one must always have homemade treats on hand in case Colin Firth or Aidan Turner drops by). :)

Two days before Christmas, a beautiful tropical bouquet arrived on our doorstep without a signed gift card. The very long flower box traveled all the way to Virginia from Hilo, Hawai’i, and contained orange and pink heliconia, red and pink anthurium, red ginger, white dendrobium orchids, orange protea, and hala, ti, and monstera leaves.

Who could have sent this little bit of paradise, this lovely reminder of both my mother’s and grandmother’s gardens? This “mystery sender” baffled us for the few days it took for the florist to return my email. Was it an old school friend, a long lost relative, a secret admirer? It was fun dreaming up all kinds of scenarios.

What a joyous surprise to discover it was my Aunty Esther, who used to bake those wonderful butter cookies so many Christmases ago. I’ve been blessed with many good aunts, and Esther was always one of the kindest and most thoughtful. Out of the blue, a generous gesture — making us, so far away, feel loved and remembered.

Cornelius thinks M&Ms stands for mmmmmmmmmmm.

I’ve welcomed 2016 with this good feeling in my heart, and a renewed conviction to lead with love and kindness.

Nothing matters more in this world than how you treat other people.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see (Mark Twain).

One on one, up close, a smile, a small gesture, a random act of kindness — at home, at work, on the street, around the corner. The world’s gone mad and things feel out of control. But being kind is wholly within our control, as Michael Blumenthal so eloquently states in his wonderful poem.

BE KIND
by Michael Blumenthal

Not merely because Henry James said
there were but four rules of life—
be kind be kind be kind be kind— but
because it’s good for the soul, and,
what’s more, for others; it may be
that kindness is our best audition
for a worthier world, and, despite
the vagueness and uncertainty of
its recompense, a bird may yet wander
into a bush before our very houses,
gratitude may not manifest itself in deeds
entirely equal to our own, still there’s
weather arriving from every direction,
the feasts of famine and feasts of plenty
may yet prove to be one, so why not
allow the little sacrificial squinches and
squigulas to prevail? Why not inundate
the particular world with minute particulars?
Dust’s certainly all our fate, so why not
make it the happiest possible dust,
a detritus of blessedness? Surely
the hedgehog, furling and unfurling
into its spiked little ball, knows something
that, with gentle touch and unthreatening
tone, can inure to our benefit, surely the wicked
witches of our childhood have died and,
from where they are buried, a great kindness
has eclipsed their misdeeds. Yes, of course,
in the end so much comes down to privilege
and its various penumbras, but too much
of our unruly animus has already been
wasted on reprisals, too much of the
unblessed air is filled with smoke from
undignified fires. Oh friends, take
whatever kindness you can find
and be profligate in its expenditure:
It will not drain your limited resources,
I assure you, it will not leave you vulnerable
and unfurled, with only your sweet little claws
to defend yourselves, and your wet little noses,
and your eyes to the ground, and your little feet.

~ from No Hurry: Poems 2000 – 2012, copyright © 2012 Etruscan Press.

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I hope 2016 will be kind to you, and that it will be a year of good health, new adventures, inspired writing, successful endeavors, happy times with friends and family, creating and cultivating beauty, and many, many delicious meals.

Please join us for a nosh or nibble whenever you can. As always, we’ve set a special place at our table just for you (and I’m always happy to be your tea pusher!). :D

As Mr. Carson of Downton Abbey said, “The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end that’s all there is.”

So, here’s to making some good memories this year!

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The lovely and talented Tabatha is hosting the Roundup at The Opposite of Indifference. Take her a handful of M&Ms and check out the full menu of poetic goodness on this week’s menu. Happy January!

P.S. This is Mr. Cornelius’s favorite Christmas gift. Should I be worried?

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

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Copyright © 2016 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

IT’S CHRISTMAS WEEK! IT’S CHRISTMAS WEEK!

Put on your best bibs and elf shoes and ring those bells!

Now that I’m done with shopping, wrapping, mailing and decorating, I can finally “relax” and concentrate on my favorite part of the holidays — food! Needless to say, the Alphabet Soup furry kitchen helpers are beside themselves with excitement. This year, we decided to try a couple of new recipes to keep things interesting, and we picked up a few treats from the British Pantry in anticipation of “Downton Abbey” starting up again on January 3. Mrs. Patmore, here we come!

To me, there’s nothing more British than mince pies at Christmastime. The only person in my family to ever bake mince pies was Auntie Ella, and she made the full size pies that are common in America, rather than the individual serving tart-size ones that you see in the UK. Mince pie also appeared on the Thanksgiving table in New Hampshire; when Len’s parents were still alive, mince and apple pies were served more often than pumpkin.

Those little mince pies are just too cute — couldn’t resist buying a couple of boxes from the BP, Walker’s Spiced Orange and Cranberry, and Mr. Kipling’s. Of course they’re perfect with a cup of tea, so we stocked up on some Downton Abbey Holiday Cheer and Christmas teas.

Also treated ourselves to a tin of Quality Street confections. These yummy chocolate covered toffees were made by Mackintosh in Halifax, West Yorkshire, before Nestlé acquired Rowntree-Mackintosh in 1988. Happy to see that the Quality Street sweets are still packaged in the familiar pink/magenta boxes and tins, something I first saw when I lived in England, and which I’ll always associate with traditional British holidays.

Of course Christmas is cookie time, and in the past I’ve gone mad over raspberry thumbprints, spritz, coconut ice box cookies, butter wreaths, neopolitan cookies, and gingerbread teddies. For the last two years cranberry orange shortbread kept calling my name whenever I browsed Pinterest, so I finally made a batch. I actually like cookie recipes that require chilling before baking, because I can make the batter one day and bake it the next. These turned out nice and buttery, but next time I’m adding a tad more sugar. I do love the combination of cranberries and orange — I usually make cranberry orange walnut muffins for Christmas breakfast. Yum!

Are you looking for an easy, easy last minute treat to serve your guests, or to take as a hostess gift, or maybe you need a homemade gift for a nice neighbor or co-worker? I have three words for you: English Chocolate Crisps! The other week Ina Garten made these on The Chew. She first had them at Melt, a chocolate shop in London, and she’s included the recipe in her cookbook Make It Ahead (Clarkson Potter, 2014). It only calls for 4 ingredients: chocolate, cornflakes, dried cranberries, and crystallized ginger, and there’s no baking(!) or refrigeration required.

Go ahead. Wrap your lips around this deeeeeeelicious cookie!

AS Teddy Chef recommends Guittard Bittersweet Gourmet Baking Chocolate Bars

The key is good quality chocolate — the suggested combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate is perfect. The written recipe on The Chew’s website lists milk chocolate, but on the show Ina specifically mentioned semi-sweet, so that’s what I used. You just melt the chocolate in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time + stirring, then pour the chocolate over the cornflakes. Finally, just fold in the dried cranberries and ginger, spoon the mixture into 8 mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then let it set for about an hour. Sooooo good and not overly sweet — just very chocolaty!! Watch the video to see just how easy this is to make. :)

Naturally Mr. Cornelius was front and center as chief taste-tester for everything. He invited a few friends and noshed on cookies, candy, hot chocolate and tea all afternoon. Actually, he’s been partying for the last two weeks and plans to continue through New Year’s. Though he loves decorating his own Christmas tree, he’d much rather play with the ornaments than hang them. Fine with us, as he’s been a good kitchen helper all year long and is bound to be on Santa’s Nice List.

Besides baking, eating, decorating, eating, cooking, eating, singing carols, and eating, are there any other special holiday traditions you look forward to every year? As I’ve mentioned before, Len and I always watch “A Christmas Memory” (Geraldine Page black-and-white version) on Christmas Eve and I like to take out my Beth Peck illustrated version of the story and read it aloud.

Mr. Cornelius just got a new potholder!

I also enjoy watching classic movies like “White Christmas,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Little Women,” “The Polar Express,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and “A Christmas Carol.” Of course I must get my Colin Firth fix with “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Love Actually.” And I’m always up for another viewing of “Eloise at Christmastime.” Gotta keep my live-someday-in-the-Plaza Hotel dream alive. :)

Gratuitous Colin Firth Shot (the only man on the planet who can make an ugly Christmas sweater look good).

The stocking I made for Len about 30 years ago.

“A Christmas Memory” (1966) is available in its entirety on YouTube in six parts. Here’s Part 3, where Buddy and his friend are making the famous fruitcakes. What would Christmas be without watching them in that cozy fire-lit kitchen hand-shelling windfall pecans and mixing bowls and bowls of batter without the benefit of a KitchenAid? Contrary to popular opinion, I actually like fruitcake, especially when it’s the “white version” made with lots of butter.

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The proposal scene is my favorite favorite part of “Love Actually.” Perhaps I should become a Portuguese waitress? Colin’s character is named Jamie. Gee, that’s pretty close to Jama. Jamie and Jama — nice ring to it, don’t you think? :)

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CRANBERRY ORANGE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

(makes 4 dozen)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped well (dried cranberries may also be used)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 pinches of salt

In a stand mixer, cream the butter well until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly until incorporated. Add the vanilla, orange zest and salt and mix well. Add the flour and baking powder slowly until well incorporated. Slowly add the fresh cranberries and mix quickly.

Form dough into 2 logs, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and chill at least an hour or overnight. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and slice logs into 1/2-inch rounds and place about 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until pale golden brown, about 12 minutes.* Cool and store in an airtight container.

*on my insulated baking sheets, these required 15 minutes 

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INA GARTEN’S ENGLISH CHOCOLATE CRISPS

• 7-1/4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 5-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 3 cups cornflakes
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger (cut into same size as the cranberries)

1. Chop the two chocolates and place 3/4 of them in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl in a microwave on high heat for 30 seconds, remove the bowl, and stir the chocolates vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue heating and stirring the chocolates in 30-second intervals, switching to 15-second intervals as the chocolates start to melt, continuing to stir vigorously with a wooden spoon in between each heating. Heat only until the chocolates are just melted. Add the remaining quarter of chocolates and stir vigorously until melted and smooth (if the chocolate isn’t completely melted, microwave it for another 5 or 10 seconds).

2. Place the cornflakes in a medium bowl, pour the chocolate mixture over the cornflakes, and immediately fold them together with a rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the cornflakes. You’ll want to work quickly so the chocolate doesn’t harden. Fold in the cranberries and ginger.

3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Working with 2 soup spoons, spoon 8 mounds of chocolate crisps onto the paper. Set aside at room temperature to cool completely until hardened. Peel the crisps off the paper and serve.

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Sigh. I can’t believe it’s another Christmas, another year coming to a close. I’ll be taking a blog break until early January, when we’ll resume our usual tea-taking and nonsense making. Thank you so much for reading and supporting Alphabet Soup this past year. It’s been a distinct pleasure having you at our table to share a mutual love of reading and eating. Hope Santa is good to you and that you have an especially fun and delicious Christmas.

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These adorable animal ornaments were handmade in Hawai’i (thanks, Sylvia!).

🎄 MERRY MERRY! 🎅

🍪 PEACE, LOVE, JOY AND COOKIES! 🍪 

from Jama, Mr. Cornelius, Eloise, and 50-something Paddingtons

xoxoxooo

I leave you with my mom’s favorite Christmas carol as performed by The 3 Tenors:

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

photo by Husfruas Memoarer

Since I welcomed the new year with two Barbara Crooker poems, it’s only fitting that I share another of her gems for my final Poetry Friday post of 2015. I can’t think of a more life affirming way to bookend this tumultuous year.

“Making Strufoli” is included in Barbara’s most recent book, Selected Poems (Futurecycle Press, 2015), a striking collection of work first published in various chapbooks and periodicals. As Janet McCann points out in her insightful Foreword, Barbara writes about ordinary life through the lens of an extraordinary sensibility.

Though I have never made or eaten strufoli, I could certainly identify with the love-hate relationship we sometimes have with our parents and the mixed feelings which inevitably arise at year’s end, when everything comes to bear and so much is expected of us. Cooking can certainly be a form of meditation, a chance to feed our hungers for validation and understanding just as much as our need for physical sustenance.

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via Italian Handful

MAKING STRUFOLI

(a traditional Italian sweet)

In the weeks before my father’s death, I make strufoli for him,
not knowing he will enter the hospital Christmas Eve,
not knowing he will never leave that high and narrow bed.
There are piles of presents yet to be wrapped red or green,
stacks of glossy cards to write, my work abandoned until the new year,
and I’m at the counter, kneading dough, heating olive oil until it spits.
A small blue flame of resentment burns. I’m in the last half
of my life. The poems I haven’t written are waiting
outside the snowy window. But I’m in the kitchen, rolling
dough into fat snakes, then thin pencils. With the sharpest
knife, I cut them into one inch bits—a slice for the prom dress
he refused to buy, the perfect one, in shell-pink satin;
a chop for the college education he didn’t save for—She’s just
a girl, She’ll get married, Who does she think she is?— a stab
for the slap when I tried to learn Italian from his mother,
my grandmother, whose recipe this is. The small pieces hiss
in the bubbling grease. They change into balls of gold. I drain
them on layers of paper towels. I don’t know I will never make
them again, never mix in the roasted almonds, pour warm honey
over the whole pile, sprinkle Hundreds of Thousands, those tiny
colored candies, over the top. I only know the way my shoulders
ache, the weariness as I do the great juggle—family, house, and
work—trying to keep all the balls in the air. And when his stubborn
breathing finally stops, when his heart gives out at last,
I only remember love as something simple and sweet,
a kiss of honey on the tongue. I take this strufoli that no one
else will eat, and spread it on the snow for the starlings and the crows.

~ posted by permission of the author. Copyright © 2015 Barbara Crooker. All rights reserved.

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From the slicing and hissing of resentment to balls of gold, quite an emotional transformation!

I’m wondering why I never encountered strufoli before reading Barbara’s poem. My former neighbor told me about the “fried dough” she made every Christmas but I don’t recall her calling it ‘strufoli’, only that her family love loved it, and the holidays wouldn’t be the same without it. Are there any Italian grandmothers out there who’d like to adopt me? :)

So, strufoli (sometimes spelled with two “f”s), also known as Italian Honey Balls or “the croquembouche of southern Italy,” originated in Naples by way of the Greeks. Marble-size bits of dough are deep fried in oil, drenched in honey, then decorated with colorful hundreds-of-thousands/sprinkles/nonpareils. Candied fruit, nuts and lemon or orange rind are sometimes added. Strufoli are typically mounded into a pyramid or shaped into a wreath, making a beautiful, festive centerpiece for the holiday table. This sweet indulgence, also part of Easter celebrations, symbolizes abundance and good luck. Some think the honey keeps families “stuck” together.

via Everybody Loves Italian

Barbara was kind enough to dig up her grandmother’s recipe just for us and shared these words about her poem and making strufoli:

My memory of making them is somewhat dim, but I believe my grandmother taught my mother, and she taught me. As my parents aged, my mother wasn’t up for doing this any more (frying is quite a production, including clean-up), so I’d make it to have on hand when they came for their Christmas visit.

My dad was a difficult man, who grew up conflicted in an immigrant family, and who distanced himself from his culture. Around the time I was in college, he reconnected with family and heritage, so I’m grateful to have had those years of visits and those stories. He also grew up in a culture that didn’t value women; he couldn’t understand why being a wife and a mother wasn’t enough. And yet he was proud of my writing, and I think his love of gardening and love of food have been a great legacy, and an important part of my life. He’s been gone around twenty years; Mom’s been gone seven, and I miss them both, especially around the holidays.

via Fine Dining Lovers

ANNUNCIATA (EMMA) CUCCARO POTI’S STRUFOLI RECIPE

• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon confectionary sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 2 cups olive oil (regular, not EVOO)
• 1 cup honey (hers calls for 1-1/2 cups, but I found that to be too much)
• whole almonds
• 1/3 cup multi-colored candies (if you can find them)

On a floured pastry board, heap the flour in a mound and make a well in the center, into which put the salt, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, oleo, and lemon peel. Mix, then knead by hand.

Lightly roll 1/4” thick, then cut into strips 1/4” wide. Roll with the palm of your hand to form shapes the size of a pencil (think Play-Doh “snakes”). Cut into 1/4” pieces.

Fry in hot oil 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Drain and dry on paper towels. Heat honey on low for 15 minutes. Pour into a large bowl, add fried pastry bits, whole almonds, toss, and let soak for five minutes (this part is mine). Scrape into a mound, and decorate with candy sprinkles. Have lots of Wet Wipes handy if giving to small children!

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Check out this struffoli-making video from the Academia Barilla to see kneading, rolling, cutting and frying techniques:

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The clever and delightful Diane Mayr is hosting the Roundup at Random Noodling. Click through to check out out the full menu of poetic goodness on this week’s menu. Only 6 more days till Christmas!!

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Ethan Long is an internationally recognized children’s book author with over 70 titles to his credit, including the Geisel Award-winning Up, Tall and High, Chamelia and the New Kid in Class, and Tickle the Duck! He is also the creator of Tasty Time with Zefronk, which currently airs worldwide on the Disney Channel. Ethan lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife and three children.

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Tea is good. Coffee is ok if you put cream and sugar in it. But hot chocolate made from scratch…mmm. One heaping tablespoon of Hershey’s Cacao Special Dark and one and a half tablespoons of sugar, and of course, hot, hot water or milk.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Fright Club (Bloomsbury, August 2015), Ms. Spell (Holiday House, July 2015); In, Over and On the Farm (Putnam’s, August 2015), and Good Night! (Abrams Appleseed, September 2015). Forthcoming: Thank You! (Abrams Appleseed, January 2016), Lion & Tiger & Bear: Tag! You’re It! (Abrams, March 2016). 

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola (Prentice Hall, 1975).

☕ Visit Ethan Long’s Official Website

☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Book Trailers for In, Over and On the Farm + Ms. Spell!

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☕ ☕ ☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Watch an episode of Tasty Time with ZeFronk — Ze Pancakes!

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

“But in this season it is well to reassert that the hope of mankind rests in faith. As man thinketh, so he is. Nothing much happens unless you believe in it, and believing there is hope for the world is a way to move toward it.” (Gladys Taber)

“Child with a Dove” by Pablo Picasso (1901)

Peace on Earth. Good will toward men.

Like festive greenery, silver bells, or candy canes, these words have come to define the holiday season. We sing them in carols, scribble them in Christmas cards, read them aloud in church.

In this season of love, joy and miracles, PEACE — what we as human beings claim to cherish most — feels ever more elusive.

Each day, as we hear of yet another natural disaster, mass shooting, racially motivated atrocity, or act of domestic violence, our hearts break a little more, and we question everything we do and believe in. What makes sense in a world that seems to be falling apart, when those who lack a moral compass can wield such power? How can some be led so far beyond the limits of human decency?

Moreover, how can we steady our faith and resolve, hold onto hope in the face of adversity and uncertainty?

In her powerful, inspiriting poem “Amazing Peace,” Maya Angelou speaks of Christmas as “the halting of hate time.” Though she wrote the poem especially for the White House Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony back in 2005, her words are even more relevant today. How can we look “beyond complexion and see community”?

This year, and in all the years to come, let us wholeheartedly embrace the Peace of Christmas — each to each, with kindness, comfort, and compassion, lighting the way for others with the golden rule as our guiding principle. A simple tenet, yet profound and far reaching because we have the power to practice it every single day.  Even when faced with the incomprehensible, we must continue to believe in the goodness of humanity. If we stand together, love, the strongest emotion a human being is capable of experiencing, will prevail.

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(quote by Jimi Hendrix)

AMAZING PEACE:  A Christmas Poem
by Maya Angelou

Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Flood waters await us in our avenues.

Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche
Over unprotected villages.
The sky slips low and grey and threatening.

We question ourselves.
What have we done to so affront nature?
We worry God.
Are you there? Are you there really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?

Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters,
Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope
And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.
The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,
Come the way of friendship.

It is the Glad Season.
Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.
Flood waters recede into memory.
Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us
As we make our way to higher ground.

Hope is born again in the faces of children
It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,
Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.
We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.
Peace.
Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.
We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,
Implore you, to stay a while with us.
So we may learn by your shimmering light
How to look beyond complexion and see community.

It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time.

On this platform of peace, we can create a language
To translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.

At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ
Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
We shout with glorious tongues at the coming of hope.
All the earth’s tribes loosen their voices
To celebrate the promise of Peace.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Non-Believers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.

Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.

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photo collage by Art Wolfe

HOPE IS BORN AGAIN IN THE FACES OF CHILDREN

How do children envision peace — a world without nuclear weapons, wars, or fear? Here are some of my favorite entries from the 2012 United Nations Art for Peace Contest. We see fresh hope for the future in the creativity, imagination and passion of these young artists. We have much to learn from them, and we must work harder to give them the kind of world they wish for and deserve.

“Feeding Peace” by Joya (age 17), El Salvador

“Wings of Peace” by Alice (age 15), USA

“Green and Peace” by Jiahong (age 17), China

“A Change to Stand” by Abegail (age 15), Philippines

“Peace Leads to Happiness” by Alistair (age 14), Bahrain

“The Peace of Heart” by Anna Maria (age 15), Germany

“Peace in Every Part of the World” by Monica (age 14), Philippines

“The peace is beautiful as if a flower which grows and provides beauty and fragrance” by Claudia (age 12), Indonesia

“My Dream World” by Lakeisha (age 5), Indonesia

“Cut Nuclear Weapons and Make Peace Dove” by Benjamin (age 8) USA

“Heart Flowers” by Grace (age 6), New Jersey USA

“Peace Explosion” by Matthew (age 16), Barbados

“Defense Cooperation” by Sutatip (age 16), Thailand. Third Place, ages 13-17.

“Making Peace” by Saumya (age 16), India

“Peace for Our Future Generation” by Mok Yan (age 12), Malaysia. First Place, ages 9-12.

“If There Were a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” by Galuh (age 8), Indonesia. FIrst Place, ages 5-8.

“Tree House of Peace” by Sirigorn (age 8), Thailand

“Someday” by Haruka (age 17), Cherry Hill, NJ, USA. First Place, ages 13-17.

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Here is a video of Maya Angelou reading her poem in Washington, D.C.:

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The lovely and talented Tara Smith is hosting the Roundup at A Teaching Life. Check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up in the blogosphere today and have a good weekend. Be kind, keep the faith, and never lose hope. Peace be with you always.

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

I write and illustrate children’s books, and other books. I live in Greenwich Village with my family, though I spend a lot of time in Brooklyn, writing in cafes and drinking too much coffee. (Pictured here with my espresso machine and our lazy barista.)

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Stumptown, Hair Bender beans. My morning Cortado.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESS: 8: An Animal Alphabet (Orchard Books, 2015).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK(s): Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (Puffin, 2002), or, In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, 1996).

☕☕ Visit Elisha Cooper’s Official Website

☕☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Check out Elisha’s Facebook Author Page for very cool behind-the-scenes tidbits about 8: An Animal Alphabet.

☕☕☕☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Elisha discusses the genesis of 8: An Animal Alphabet and shares wonderful pics and sketches at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

Mmmmmm! There’s nothing like the tantalizing aroma of a brand new picture book to put me in a happy holiday mood. Even better when it’s been cooked up by two immensely talented women — multiple Emmy award winner Sonia Manzano and two-time Caldecott Honor recipient Marjorie Priceman.

Miracle on 133rd Street (Atheneum, 2015) contains just the right ingredients for a satisfying, heartwarming read: family, friends, neighbors, sharing, a little bit of magic, music, and even a mustached pizza chef!

Most important, this story is about the power of food — to soothe the savage breast, bring people together, and beget joy.

The food in question is a roast. A BIG roast. One that’s too big to fit in the oven. It’s Christmas Eve and Mami is beside herself. She’s also homesick for Puerto Rico, where she could have easily cooked the roast outside. Jokingly, young José says what they need is a big pizza oven. Papi thinks that’s actually a good idea, so they put the roast in a big box to take it to Regular Ray’s Pizzeria.

On the way downstairs, Papi and José encounter some of the neighbors who live in their apartment building. The holidays are often a stressful time, and people are out of sorts. Mrs. Whitman’s kids are driving her crazy, the Santiagos are lonely, the Wozenskys and DiPalmas are worried about money, Ms. Simon is fed up with shopping. Pretty hard to get into the Christmas spirit.

(click to enlarge)

Outside, the falling snow is making others grumpy, but Papi and José merrily trek to the pizzeria. Kind Mr. Ray agrees to lend them his big oven, and while they are waiting for the roast to cook, José falls asleep next to Mr. Ray’s Christmas tree. Three hours later, he’s awakened by

A most glorious scent. A scent so garlicky and olive oily and delicious it made you want to eat — even if you weren’t hungry. A bouquet that made you feel excited, except you didn’t know why. A smell that made you feel something wonderful could happen, but you didn’t know what.

The aroma seemed to lift José to his feet and wrap itself around all of them like a scarf.

(click to enlarge)

Oh, can’t you just about smell it too? Papi invites Mr. Ray to help them eat the roast, so the three of them make their way back home neath a clear blue-black sky with bright stars. As the heavenly aroma envelopes them, they dreamily drift and weave and waft along, their feet barely touching the ground. One whiff, and Mr. Happy the Christmas tree seller decides to give a disgruntled customer a free tree. One whiff, and people stop bickering and begin remembering good things. Neighbors open their doors to ask, “Is that a roast I smell?” They cannot help themselves; they’re all entranced by the magical scent.

As Papi invites them all over to share the wondrous roast, they bring cookies, cakes, their guitars, their good will. Now the swoony smelling roast reminds Mami of home, and miraculously everyone fits into one tiny apartment, where they all celebrate a gloriously happy, chatty, utterly delicious Christmas together.

(click to enlarge)

Ms. Manzano (“Maria” from Sesame Street) has written a beautiful, timeless story that embraces the values we all hold dear. I love her diverse cast of characters, their interesting personalities, and the realistic way she’s portrayed them — everyday people stressed out by the holidays, and who, very much like us, sometimes need a little nudge to get into the holiday spirit.

I am guessing — judging by the smell being “garlicky and olive oily” — that she’s referring to the roast being seasoned with a Puerto Rican style adobo-mojado, a wet rub consisting of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano-brujo, and perhaps a little citrus juice. No matter if the roast in the story is pork, beef, veal or vegan — it nonetheless signifies comfort, happy memories, special occasions, and togetherness.

As a longtime Marjorie Priceman fan, I was thrilled to see her exuberant gouache paintings with their dazzling, vibrant colors, swirly lines and trademark whimsy. Her cheery, festive pictures dotted with fat snowflakes and brimming with likable, energetic people are instantly uplifting. She has splendidly captured both the hectic holiday bustle as well as the warmth of community.

I especially love the aroma-laden swirls emanating from the roast, and the Chagallesque pictures of blissful people floating on air behind it. A most satisfying feast of a book that’ll remind you of all the times a delicious aroma made you stop in your tracks and forget everything else. Here’s to an unforgettable holiday dinner: when you walk in the door, may you be compelled to say, “Mmmmmm! Something smells good!”

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MIRACLE ON 133rd STREET
written by Sonia Manzano
illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
published by Atheneum BFYR, September 2015
Picture Book for ages 4-8, 48 pp.
**Starred Reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.