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Picture book extraordinaire Tara Lazar and the frightfully creative S. Britt interview each other about Normal Norman (Sterling Children's Books, 2016), a laugh-out-loud book that explores the meaning of normal through the study of an exceptionally strange orangutan.

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LAST DAY! $50 Gift Certificate Holiday Giveaway Enter here:   Mudpuppy Holiday Giveaway  . Orangutanka: A Story in Poems Written by Margarita Engle Illustrations by Renée Kurilla Henry Holt & Company     3/24/2015 978-0-8050-9839-6 32 pages     Ages 4—8 “All the orangutans are ready for a nap in the sleepy depths of the afternoon . …

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Some things demand to be written about. For me, it’s orangutans. I first encountered them twenty years ago. I was holidaying on the island of Borneo and came across a sanctuary where young orphaned orangutans were being returned to the wild. The Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre is now a well-organised stop on the tourist trail, but at the […]

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I did these for the Philadelphia Zoo last year for their Lorax/Orangutan exhibit. I had to combine my style with Dr. Suess' style which was a lot of fun. As you can see by the photos below (no, they're not out of focus), the illustrations were done in multiple layers and converted to 3D to coincide with the Lorax movie. Kids were given 3D glasses to view the exhibit signage in order to learn more about Orangutans and what they can do to protect them. If you ever get a chance go to your local zoo and sit for a good hour to watch the orangutans. I worked at the zoo for many years and would often eat my lunch while watching the primates. They really are fascinating.

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• It's Nonfiction Monday again.  Please be sure to visit host, Wendie's Wanderings to read today's posts. I've got no reviews to offer today, however, I did read this book yesterday and loved it for its beautiful photos, sweet story, and simple sentence structure (perfect for sharing with little ones at storytime):

(Be assured that the quality of the book's photos exceeds the quality of the book trailer video.)  A curiosity about this decidedly nonfiction book - the copyright page lists the classifying subject headings as the following:

1. Orangutan – Juvenile fiction. 2. Dogs – Juvenile fiction. [1. Orangutan – Fiction. 2. Dogs – Fiction. 3. Wildlife refuges – Fiction. 4. South Carolina – Fiction.]

I sent a note to the publisher to inquire if this is an error or a choice, but haven't had a response yet.  This is not the first time that I've seen erroneous cataloging information in print.  Can someone who is familiar with publishing enlighten me as to the source of the classifications?  I'm a curious sort. 

Next,

• After many, many tries, I was finally successful in logging in to my White House account and signing the petition to  

Ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program.

If you haven't signed the petition, please do.  (You must create a White House account before signing.)  The log in process seems to be temperamental.  Please keep trying!  As I'm writing, 4411 signatures are still needed by February 4, to ensure a response from the President. Do yourself, your children, your students, your school, and your community a favor and support strong school library programs.

Finally,

• Next Monday, February 6, I'll be featuring an interview with Marcia Vaughan, author of 2012 Sydney Taylor Book Award honor  winner, Irena's Jars of Secrets (Lee & Low 2011).

Ms. Vaughan's visit here is part of the larger Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour 2012.  The tour kicks off on February 5 with the following: 

Susan Campbell Bartoletti, author of Naamah and the Ark at NightSydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at Ima On & Off the Bima

Holly Meade, illustrator of Naamah and the Ark at NightSydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
at Into the Wardrobe

Shelley Sommer, author of Hammerin' Hank Greenberg, Baseball PioneerSydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at 1 Comments on Monday Morning Miscellany, last added: 1/30/2012