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Little Red Gliding Hood Written by Tara Lazar Illustrated by Troy Cummings .                         Random House Children’s Books  10/27/2015 .                      978-0-385-37006-6 .                     32 pages   …

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When I was a girl, I used to love ice skating in Central Park, either on the pond if it were frozen enough or the skating rink.  There was nothing like the feeling of gliding across the ice on a cold winter's day.  So when I saw The Greatest Skating Race by Louise Borden sitting on a bookshelf, I knew I just had to read it.

Written in free verse, the story is set in the Netherlands in December 1941.  Ten-year-old Piet Janssen was born to ice skate.  His father's family had made and repaired ice skates for many generations, and Piet is looking forward to the time he is old enough to skate in the Elfstedentoct just like his hero , Pim Mulier.  Mulier has skated the 200 kilometer/124 miles race in record-breaking time in a bitter cold December, much like Holland was experiencing in 1941.

But Holland is under German occupation and although there is no restriction on skating, there just are much of the need supplies left for Piet's grandfather to make or repair skates.  In fact, there isn't much of anything left after the Germans took what needed.   But for Christmas, Piet receives a little red notebook.  In it, he begins to plan and train for his entry in the Elfstedentoct...someday.

The Janssens are kind people and help others whenever they can, especially during the bitter cold winters that Europe has been experiencing since the war began.  One Friday, when Piet comes home from school, excited to show his mother his perfect spelling test, he learns that the father of a school mate has been arrested for possessing a radio and sending messages to the Allies.  It is decided that his children, Johanna and her little brother Joop Winkelman, need to get away to safety.

Which means that Piet, Johanna and Joop would skate the frozen canals to Brugge, Belgium, a distance of 16 kilometers/10 miles past German checkpoints all along the way, a long distance for two 10 year olds and one 7 year old after a day at school.

And so the three skaters begin their journey.  They don't get far before they run into their first German sentries, who stop them and become very suspicious when they see the Elfstedentoct map Piet had drawn in his red notebook for training purposes.  A nice border map, one guard says.  Finally the other guard recognizes the name of the race.  The children are allowed to go on, but can they fool every sentry at every guard house they will have to pass and arrive safely in Brugge or be caught and arrested?  And even if they get by the guards, can little Joop complete the arduous journey?

The Greatest Skating Race was such an exciting story and so well told that I had to keep checking the spine of the library book I was reading to remind myself that it is fiction.  And although this is technically a picture book, it is really designed for middle grade readers.  It is an engaging and beautifully written story that demonstrates the bravery and courage of children caught up in a war and their understanding of just how serious things were.  An exciting story, it really captures the fear and tension that people experienced living under Nazi occupation continually felt.

The illustrations by Niki Daly, which are done in colored pencil, ballpoint pen and watercolor with digital enhancement, beautifully convey the freezing winter weather, the beauty of the country and the fear, the determination and even the innocence of the children in cold wintry tones.

The Elfstedenstoct is a real race that can only be done if the ice in the canals along the 11 city route are all frozen to 15cm.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like a race will be held in 2013 and in fact there hasn't been one since 1997.

Pim Mulier (1865-1954), Piet's skating hero, did indeed complete the Elfstedentoct just as it is described in The Greatest Skating Race.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from The Bank Street College of Education library

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MICE SKATES!

For more holiday shenanigans, wing by here and see what my fellow HoHoDooDa Doodlers are up to!

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Some small paintings I created for a Memory-style card game that appeared in this past January's issue of Spider magazine. Each one is available for purchase in my Etsy shop:

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You loved her figure skating now enjoy her newest adventure, Dream Big Little Pig.

Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic athlete, artist, wife, mom and philantropist has now added author to her many accomplishments with this darling picture book.

Poppy the pig has many dreams, (singer, dancer, model) but when her attempts all fail will her family and friends support be enough for her to try once more?

Dream Big Little Pig is a wonderful tale of persistence and determination.  Come take the journey with Poppy as she learns (on a pig's day out) that having fun doing something can sometimes lead to your one true love.

Dream Big Little Pig is illustrated by Tim Bowers.  The artwork is lively and funny (do I see an American Idol reference?).  His pictures will keep your kids engaged and drawn into the story.

If you didn't already know, Kristi started the Always Dream Foundation in 1996 and has been an active fundraiser and supporter of children's charities in the San Francisco Bay Area, sponsoring many events.  Check it out at; http://www.alwaysdream.org/

For more information on Dream Big Little Pig please visit Sourcebooks

This book is also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold.

You read the review now check out the sneak peek trailer!

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Just a little watercolor I painted today, inspired by our Ohio snowstorm!

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My wife and I recently put a much needed new basement floor into our 100 year old house. To celebrate I skated to the tune of the hustle. I don't usually post videos but I think this one may be worth seeing.

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(edited because I remembered more)

This week's memory challenge is inspired by the Olympics.

Many kids are naturally competitive. I don't know how much it was about the competition for me as it was to prove to someone in authority (teacher/parent/etc) that I was the best and therefore "worthy" of something. (I had a lot of self-esteem issues as a kid and brought a few of them forward with me into adulthood.) So this week I'm going to try and remember all the various athletic competitions I have been involved in. Academic ones I'll save for another time. 

My very first experience with athletics was dance class with the Art Linkletter Dance Studio. The little studio bus would come pick me up and take me to class. I tolerated ballet but I loved tap. There was some dance to a song that had "duck" in it - I can't remember.

I played on girl's softball team in 6th grade but wasn't super good at it so I quit. I played 3rd and someone stole my brand new mitt. I never played softball again.

I started riding horses in the 5th or 6th grade, not mine at first. I helped a friend keep Lady, her husband's horse, well exercised.

One day Lady horse took off with me high in the hills of Martinez on day. I slipped from the saddle, my foot caught in the stirrup and I was drug for who knows how long before I fell loose. As if that wasn't enough I rolled down the side of a really muddy hill. That was the day of my first and only ride in an ambulance. I was sore, of course, yet no broken bones. What was the most scary was that I couldn't see. I opened my eyes and saw absolutely nothing. At the hospital it turned out that I just had scads of mud in my eyes and once they were flushed out, I could see again.

After that my mom decided if I was going to get hurt on a horse it should be a horse of my very own. Enter Sparky, half Clydesdale and half Quarter Horse.

He had no personality and was used to at 6'5" 50-year-old man riding him all the time. The perfect horse for a 12 year old kid, right? Not. He wouldn't even get in the trailer for us to take him to his new home and he wouldn't let me ride him so I walked him, and I mean WALK as in holding his lead, from Martinez to Concord (with a stopover in my grandmother's backyard.) He threw me more times than I can remember when I was being ditzy about him, not paying attention, and he'd grab the bit and haul butt from wherever we were.
I had him until we were hit by a car walking down Clayton Road. A girl had just gotten her driver's license and freaked out at seeing a horse on the road. She hit us and we just happened to be in the small unincorporated section which meant there was a long block of barbed wire. I went over Sparky's head into the dirt lot but he fell into the wire and wrapped it across one hip and around the other side.

It would have been months and months of therapy before I could ride him again and we didn't have that kind of money. And truly, we had no connection at all. My mom gave him to a place in Davis that taught vaulting. His big back was perfect for 2-3 kids work off of at the same time. The horse of my heart of was Sheikh, an older Arab that came into my life as an adult. With him I played with barrel racing and pole bending (our favorite.) Man I loved that horse.

At Mt. Diablo I was on the track team. I think the coach was a Mrs. Armstrong. I was pretty fast, loved to run sprints, but Susan Hewlett was faster. For the one year I went Ygnacio Valley I got a girls track team started over there too. 

I was also on the tennis team for one year. (How could I forget that?)

But that athletic event that occupied most of my childhood was roller skating.

I roller skated competitively (that's back when roller skates had 4 wheels, 2 on each side not in a straight line.)

I skated at Skate Haven Roller Rink in Walnut Creek, CA. The rink is long gone ( I think there's a Jiffy Lube or some such thing there now.) I started skating in the 5th grade. I went to a skate party that one of my teachers had organized and really wanted to start taking lessons. My mother said no.

I was a child with constant stomach aches and an intense fear of the family doctor.

They wanted to take x-rays of my stomach.

I said no.

My mother finally bribed me with some skating lessons if I went to the doctor. They didn't figure out anything wrong (and I drank gallons of Mylanta all through childhood) but I did get my lessons. My goal was to learn how to do the "shoot the duck" move.

(not me)

After that I was pretty much hooked on skating. I took Saturday morning lessons and then stayed at the rink the rest of the day. It was a while before I was old enough for my mom to leave me there for the Saturday evening sessions. She thought they were too "rough" with all those hippie type teenagers hanging around.

Soon I joined the rink's skating club and that meant getting to attend that Tuesday night club class. There was a uniform for the class and I remember being so excited when I got mine for the first time. Classes were taught by George Hammond and Peggy Harden. Soon Peggy became my personal skating pro and I was taking private lessons. In exchange for some lessons I cleaned her house and exercised her husband's horse Lady. For all of Junior High and the first 3 years of high school I pretty much lived at the rink. Once I was a member of the club there were skating tests you could take. Every couple of months there would be a test center at our rink and if you were ready to go to the next level, you could pay a fee and try to pass. There were tests for figures, freestyle and dance. Figures and freestyle were individual events for dance you needed a partner. If you weren't already assigned a partner you could get paired with a total stranger on test night. That was hard! There was an older gentleman, I don't remember his name, but he was always a great partner for me because helped me keep my nerves under control. I still have the little metal pins they awarded us when we passed a test.

Before long it was time to compete. I started off competing in figures, which is a single event. If you've ever been to a roller rink and seen those big circles painted on the floor, that's what you use for figure skating. There were various figures you had to learn to trace and, of course, stay on the line. Forward, backward, changing feet at the intersection of the circle, three-turns at a specific spot. I was good but not great though I did like the challenge.

Next Peggy started looking around for a dance partner for me. There really weren't that many boys my age at the rink so for a while she tried pairing me with her husband Fred. Soon another skater came along that was a better match for him. (Mercury Morden) and I ended up with another man nearly twice my age, Dan Alley. Mercury and I were on again off again good friends at that time, always depending on whether or not we had a crush on the same guy.

Things I remember most about roller skating:

Dan picking me up after school and taking me right to the rink for lessons.
Skating at the rink in Santa Cruz where the floor was warped.
Having to wear nylons for competition and how much they burned when you feel on the floor.
Locking wheels with a partner which always resulted in a really bad fall.
Meeting Kevin Wilson, first real boyfriend, at the rink.
Walking up to Foster Freeze for snacks in-between skate times.
Having a wheel come loose and roll across the rink....worse yet, having the ball bearings come out.
Buying Reva's old skating costumes.

I never was a shining star at roller skating but days spent at that rink are some of my most favorite memories.

Your turn. Tell me about athletics in your childhood.

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Three highlights of my February vacation week!



I signed books and met some fantastic readers at Barnes and Noble in South Burlington, Vermont yesterday afternoon.  Thanks to everyone who came out to pick up copies of Spitfire and say hello.  I was especially happy to meet Marje VanOlsen from the South Burlington Community Library in person. We've been emailing for a few weeks, and I'll be presenting a summer program at her library in July. 

Earlier in the vacation week, my family enjoyed the last weekend of Winterlude in Ottawa.  It's a fantastic winter festival with outdoor entertainment, ice sculptures, and best of all -- skating!



As soon as Ottawa's Rideau Canal freezes, it turns into the world's longest skating rink -- literally.  Those world record folks at Guinness made it official this year. 



We had a beautiful day and enjoyed the full 7.8 km.  Of course, we did make a few stops along the way -- most notably to indulge in a Beaver Tail or two.



If  you're ever in Ottawa, this decadent delicacy is a must-have.  A beaver tail pastry is a very thin strip of fried dough shaped like, well, the flat tail of a beaver.  It's dusted with cinnamon and sugar or drizzled with maple syrup (my favorite). 

I even managed to get some work done in between skating and scarfing down pastries.  I've been asked to do a couple presentations this spring, talking about my upcoming book Champlain & the Silent One, which comes out next fall.  That means going back to the places where I did some of my research to gather photographs and other resources for my school visits.

Ottawa's Canadian Museum of Civilization is featuring Samuel de Champlain in an exhibit about people who shaped Canada's history.



This was especially fun to see...



It's a navigational tool called an astrolabe, and historians believe it might have belonged to Champlain himself.  According to documents, Champlain lost his astrolabe near a place called Green Lake when he was traveling up the Ottawa River in 1613.  In 1867, a boy named Edward Lee was helping his father clear trees in that area and came upon the instrument pictured above, right where Champlain supposedly dropped it 254 years earlier.

And here's a quiz for particularly astute blog readers.  Look at this statue of Champlain with his astrolabe at Ottawa's Nepean point.


There's something wrong.  Do you know what it is? 

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The best way is to find one abandoned on the street, thrown out by someone who just doesn't appreciate it. I'm still haunted by the one I found several years ago, kept for a bit, then decided I didn't need anymore. I know now that it was a suitcase from the 30s, and it would be kind of nice to have it now.
But I lucked out (after some fruitless searching yesterday on Queen W), when I went to the St. Lawrence Sunday Market flea market. I have to admit that I'm definitely a night owl, so I usually get down to the market by around noon. But I'm haunted by an old work friend who asked me when I usually go to the market, and was shocked by my answer. He assured me that by noon only detritus was left, and there was no point in going. That's the word I always think of, ringing in my ears: "detritus... detritus... detritusss..."

So the last couple of times I've managed to get there by around 9 or 10. (Still not the recommended 5am but I'm more likely to stay up until 5am then get down to the market by then.) And I have realized that there is actually better stuff the earlier you go. It starts to get crowded by noon and some of the tables do seem to be picked over.

When I went today to look for a vintage suitcase I was lucky because usually you never find what you're looking for. (You do end up with things you didn't even think of, such as the tiny box of gramaphone needles pictures at the top of this post.) But I actually found one seller who had several vintage suitcases and was very friendly and patient as I opened them up and tried to decide which size, which colours, which condition, which lining. I love the one I finally picked, so while I'm no expert here are the features I can suggest that you might want to look for.

1. materials: some are made from cardboard, some leather and some are made from coated wood. Mine is made from coated wood and I like it because it's sturdier than cardboard and it has that charming textured finish typical of the 30s/40s suitcase.

2. condition: I was tempted by one with a crack but decided it would be better to have a sturdy one that definitely won't fall apart. Mine has corners reinforced with little metal plates which will help protect it against damage from knocks.

3. smell: definitely check that it doesn't smell musty, especially as that will probably transfer to anything you put into it.
4. latches/hinges: should work easily and seem secure. Ask if there's a key because that's always nice to have.

5. lining: I like pockets and compartments of any kind, and of course colour and type of fabric depends on your taste. I love the grosgrain ribbons in mine that are meant for securing the contents, presumably with a jaunty bow. The satin is a sort of pale tan/grey/champagne kind of colour.
6. outer appearance: Some have stripes, some a mock wool plaid kind of pattern, or you can move ahead to the 60s/70s and get a psychedelic floral number. Mine is mustard yellow with a cream border, and it has a nice nubbly texture that looks like fabric. I suspect that suitcases with a label with the name of the manufacturer are more collectable. It's just nice to know where things come from.

7. size/comfort: mine was large enough to be useful but isn't too heavy and has a comfortable handle.

8. price: you decide, I paid $30 which was well worth it to me.While I was at it I found these darning eggs. The little pink one is apparently a "baby" darning egg. Not sure but I guess it's for darning little booties and such, although I don't like to think of some poor baby wearing worn out socks. This is possibly why I've never seen a "baby" darning egg before but since I bought it at the same place with the suitcase and other darner, the seller gave me a big discount and I couldn't resist the charming little thing.

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I feel I've been neglecting my needle book posts..so I'm going to try to catch up a bit. We've had a busy time recently, mainly because we just bought our first house! We didn't think we could afford one in Toronto, and were planning to just buy a slightly bigger condo, but after not really seeing anything we liked, we extended our search a bit and found a little house just at the edge of our budget. I keep telling people that it's very small (it's a 1-bedroom bungalow), because I don't want people to see it and be disappointed. I have to admit that my first reaction on seeing the house was to laugh, because it looked so tiny. But while it also needs redecorating throughout, it definitely has potential to be a really lovely little home. We'll be moving in at the end of July and I'll be sure to share our decorating pictures then.

We also had a trip to New York city recently, and stayed with a friend in Hoboken. Lucky for me he had already found the "ribbon district" and had lots of great shopping tips. The ribbons at the top of this post are all from M&J Trimming (1008 Sixth Ave.), a store that will dazzle the ribbon lover, but also has buttons, lace, purse handles etc. All my favourite ribbons were from the front of the store, in a section devoted to embroidered ribbons, with many fancy ribbons imported from Europe as well.
To balance out this splurge, I also found these lovely ribbons (above) at the Textile Museum sale last week, the place where I like to stock up on crafts supplies for the coming year. The one on the bottom is my favourite - many thanks to my friend Sarah who found it first but let me have it!

Around the corner from M&J Trimming are more ribbon, button and bead stores, including the Martha Stewart recommend Tinsel Trading (Tinsel Trading 47 West 38th Street New York), and a similar store I discovered called Store Across the Street (Store Across the Street 64 West 38th Street New York). And if you're in that neighbourhood, I recommend the beautiful Bryant Park nearby as the perfect place to have a drink and sit down and look over your new ribbons. There are lots of little iron table and chair sets for anyone to use.We also went to a couple of flea markets. At the first outdoor parking lot (junky type) flea market I found a beautiful antique compact for $5 and a Noel Streatfeild book I hadn't heard of (New Shoes) for $1. It was across from an expensive looking indoor antique mall which we didn't visit (too much to do, too little time!) The second flea market was a few streets over in a parking garage. We could have spent hours in there but were getting a little tired and hungry.And speaking of ribbons, I picked up these bargains at Kate's Paperie on Broadway in Soho which was having a moving sale. This was also near to my other favourite stores, Pearl River Trading, Anthropologie and Kate Spade.And last but not least, my catch up wouldn't be complete without finally sharing the adorable little rabbit made for me by the lovely and talented Susan!

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