By: Greg Leitich Smith,
on 4/25/2011
NOODLE AND LOU, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Arthur Howard (Beach Lane Books 2011). Noodle the worm wakes up one morning feeling out of sorts. He doesn't have eyes or feet or even a beak...Can his best friend Lou cheer him up?
Scanlon's rhyming text is fun and whimsical, and Howard's illustrations are a perfect match: colorful and exuberant and full of verve. This is a book for anyone who's ever had a friend to cheer them up.
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By: Jama Rattigan,
on 3/1/2011
Callooh, Callay!
It's time to tip our caps to Liz Garton Scanlon and Arthur Howard! Their brand new picture book, Noodle & Lou (Beach Lane Books, 2011), is officially out today!
What's that? You don't have a cap?
No probs. Help yourself:
(Please leave your caps on for the duration of this post so you can really strut your stuff. Oh, and if you wanna be extra cool and channel Noodle, wear it backwards or sideways-sassy. Lookin' good!)
So what's up with these two? Noodle the earthworm wakes up one morning with a "rain-cloudy" heart. It happens to all of us sometimes -- just feelin' blue and down on ourselves. It's a good thing Noodle has his good friend Lou to lean on. A finer, kinder, more supportive blue jay was never to be found. For every negative feeling Noodle has, Lou puts a positive spin on it:
"My head has no eyes,"
Noodle said, feeling glum.
"So, life's a surprise!"
Lou said to his chum.
"And I don't have a beak,"
said Noodle, quite blue.
"But you're long, and so sleek, which is perfect for you!"
Ah, that Lou. Right there when Noodle needs him, and every bit sincere:
"I'm dirty and mucky!"
"You're wiggly and plucky."
"I'm skinny and bare."
"With your own special flair."
After going back and forth like this for awhile, Noodle eventually feels better. He realizes that despite "All those high-flyin' types . . . Lou-Bird likes me!"
It's easy to love this wholly satisfying story of an unlikely friendship. Who are we without our friends? Lucky for us, they're there when we need them, have the uncanny ability to alter our perceptions and lift us right up. Liz's pitch perfect rhyming text, chock full of chewy, crunchy words like "plucky," "slither," and "jaunty," hums right along and packs some extra punch -- we gain new appreciation for the lowly earthworm, and realize that sometimes seemingly natural enemies can indeed be friends. Good to know that anything is possible if we keep our minds and hearts open.
(click to enlarge)
Arthur Howard, best known for the Mister Putter & Tabby series, has successfully created an earthworm oozing with personality. Not an easy task, to be sure, but with a few strokes and a strategically placed, oversized baseball cap, Arthur's Noodle arouses empathy and engages the reader right away. Noodle's emotional transformation is underscored by an ever-changing skyscape, warming colors and varying perspectives. Fun to see a worm's eye view of the world, and indeed, this story
By: tara,
on 2/20/2010
A few days ago in Think Before You Write, I mentioned that although a picture book is short, it doesn’t take a short time to write:
You whittle down the length so every word packs a punch, while still presenting a compelling page-turner, full of illustrative potential. (Which means you have to leave some things unsaid.)
So what does that mean? Leaving some things unsaid? Well, I’ve found perfect examples from Kathi Appelt. (Yes, Newbery Honoree Kathi Appelt. She knows her stuff.)
Today my daughter asked me to read Appelt’s Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives, one of our favorite picture books.
Appelt says a lot with a little, meaning she uses a few words to describe a situation, leaving illustrator Arthur Howard to fill in the blanks.
Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives is about a baby boy, his bloodhound puppy and the Texan family relatives who come to visit one afternoon. Bubba’s Mama Pearl is very nervous about the relatives’ arrival.
Appelt says: “First Mama Pearl went on a home improvement spree.”
Howard draws: Mama Pearl shoving clothes into a drawer, pushing an overstuffed closet closed, and sweeping Bubba’s toys underneath the bed.
Notice it took 19 words to describe the illustrations, but Appelt only used 9 words to set the scene.
Appelt says: “Then she handed out orders.”
Howard draws: Mama Pearl pointing to a cobweb which Big Bubba swats with a broom, Mama Pearl holding a bag for the bloodhound to put away his bones and balls, Big Bubba vacuuming with Beau riding the cleaner.
And there it took 36 words to describe the illustrations, but Appelt only used 5. (OK, I could have described the art in a tighter fashion, but I think you see my point.)
Later in the story, Applet introduces “…Cousin Arlene and her dog, Bitsy.”
Appelt says: “Honey, it was froufrou city.”
Howard draws: Cousin Arlene in a frilly pink dress, with a pink bow to match the one atop Bitsy’s fluffy head.
Once again, Appelt’s petite word count packs a humorous punch, with Howard’s illustrations telling half the story.
In our favorite scene of the story, Bubba, Beau, Arlene and Bitsy have just been discovered in the mud hole. “Only one thing to do,” says Big Bubba.
Page turn. (Which means a surprise is coming!)
Appelt says: “Yeehaw, honey! It was a picture perfect day in Bubbaville.”
Howard draws: The entire family sitting in the back of Big Bubba’s truck, which has been filled with a hose so it’s a Texan-style pick-up truck pool.
At kidlit conferences and events I’ve repeatedly heard that picture book writers must leave room for illustrations. Bubba and Beau provides a superior example of how to write a successful tale that inspires brilliant pictures. The words and images work beautifully together like Bogey & Bacall, Astair & Rogers, and Lady Gaga & Elton John. (OK, maybe that last analogy wasn’t so good. But I needed something current.)
If you have a recommendation of a picture book that says a lot with a little, let’s hear it!
Great post. I’m linking to it this week!
Diary Of A Wombat by Jackie French, which to me is a PERFECT picture book for this exact reason. Nice post, Tara!
Huzzah, Tara!
(But Elton John and Lady Gaga? Sup with that?)
Less is more and from an illustrator standpoint I mostly agree.
But there are always exceptions and often there is room for more text. I think it really depends on the book itself. It really depends on the book itself.
With that I’m at about 500 on my latest WIP and when I dummy it I am sure it will change. Again.
Barb
Great post Tara! You’ve inspired me to look at my two “finished” PBs and take out some text that would be better shown through illustration! These days, a lower word count is a good thing
Hey Barb, nice to hear from you!
Sure, I think you have a point, it can depend upon the book itself. There are lovely books with lots of text–we just reread one last night: THE ORANGE SHOES by Trinka Hakes Noble. It must be about 1500 words, but the story is so perfect, I don’t think she could remove a single word and make it better. And then, on the opposite side of the story spectrum, there’s wordless picture books like WAVE by Suzy Lee. Add a word? No way!
I suppose my point in posting this is that you don’t have to write about every small detail–what your character looks like, for instance. I remember going to a first page session where the author was explaining the difference in height between twins and bogging down the description in numbers–the editors became lost. Another time, someone wrote about a mother setting the table and where she placed the napkin, something that had nothing to do with moving the story forward. That author was instructed to remove empty words.
Go to the pull down menu under “Blog Topics” in the left column and select “First Page Session” to see more insights from these events. You know I love them!
Hey Tara!!
I love your blog, and yes I’ve read your commentary on the first pages here. Thank you SO much!
They are the best thing about conferences I think.
(Also, thanks for your critique of my pig story. It was extremely helpful. And now it is re-dummied!)
Barb (AE)
Great post, Tara!
In Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy, there’s a page that reads simply, “Look what my sister is doing now!”
I do wonder in these situations whether the author included illustrator notes. Sometimes I also wonder if it’s a good idea to leave a teeny bit more text initially to help the editor visualize? Maybe not.
Do you think Kathi Appelt included illustrator notes or had more description in the unedited version?
I would really love to know what kind of illustration notes where on her manuscript! This was the second book in the Bubba & Beau series, so she established the characters and situations in the first book. And, she’s published many books, so the relationship with her editor (and the supremely talented Arthur Howard) may be one of complete understanding.
I hear a lot of conflicting advice about illustration notes. Only use them when they’re necessarily to understand the text, but then again, don’t use too many or it will spoil the pacing. I met one editor who said she LOVED illustration notes because it helped her understand how the writer envisions the text. And I met yet another who said many times they’re completely unnecessary. Hard to know what to do, but again, I think it’s boils down to writer instinct because it’s such a subjective thing.
Barb, I’m so glad my critique was helpful and I’m excited for your new version! Good luck with it!
That’s very interesting. I’m surprised to hear that some editors actually like them!
I guess illustrator notes are just something you need to be aware of–to make sure you’re not using them as a crutch.
And you’re right, I think an established editor/author relationship would make a huge difference.
Good food for thought!