In my previous post, I offered that isn't it a wonder that using fictional techniques to relay the telling of facts and biography seems a natural fit?
Monica Kulling is the master of biography. Monica’s poetic narrative – a hallmark of all her books – breathes life to her characters as she explores the thematic values of determination and persistence. Her Great Idea Series, published by
Tundra Books, is one of my favorite nonfiction series for young readers.
Monica excels at taking a moment in history, oftentimes a forgotten moment, and fashioning a story that is both compelling and informative. The books showcase inventors, some more known than others, and how they were inspired to create their inventions that, in many ways, changed the course of history. Monica’s fascination with the late 19th and early 20th centuries confined her research to that particular period. When choosing who to write about, says Monica, “
I need enough material to make an interesting narrative.” Monica researches extensively, using online and in print sources.
Inventors are clever, says Monica, and they are ingenious in finding ways to realize their dreams. She focuses on that ‘a-ha’ moment, when a great idea clicks in your brain and has you racing off in pursuit.
The picture book format allows Monica to bring depth and breadth to each inventor’s story.
Her book,
It’s a Snap: George Eastman’s First Photograph (2009), illustrated by Bill Slavin, tells the story how Eastman invented the photograph, and thus ushered in the new age of documenting history as well as the advent of ‘selfies.
Another book in the series,
Going Up: Elisha Otis’s Trip to the Top (2012), illustrated by David Parkins, depicts the founding of the elevator, allowing skyscrapers to literally touch the sky. And one of my favorites, the award-winning
In the Bag: Margaret Knight Wraps It Up (2011), also illustrated by David Parkins, tells the story about the young inventor of the folded paper bag who eventually owned over twenty patents.
Says Monica, “
I’ve always been more interested in the struggle than in the achievement. It’s the nail-biting will-they or won’t they, can-they or can’t-they, that engages a young reader most.”
Tundra Books chooses wonderful illustrators. Each of the four illustrators who have worked on the series has been able to depict the time period in all its glorious detail.
 |
Illustration by Richard Rudnicki. Used with permission.
|
One of my favorites, Richard Rudnicki’s illustrations for
Making Contact: Marconi Goes Wireless (2013) are full of the same energy as Monica’s characters. His sweeping landscapes, done in acrylics on watercolor paper, are particularly striking, depicting the Newfoundland coastline, with its cold grey colors, whirling storm clouds, and the bright dot of a kite flying in the wind make me shiver with awe.
Monica’s newest edition to the series is
Spic-And-Span: Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen (2014).
This book follows the amazing story of Lillian Gilbreth, the inspiration for the matriarch in the movie and book,
Cheaper By The Dozen. Her life is so much more amazing than a movie or a book, however. When her husband dies unexpectedly, Lillian forges ahead to raise her children alone. An efficiency expert, industrial engineer and psychologist, Lillian’s designs and inventions are still considered fundamental to contemporary kitchens eighty years later.
Thank you, Monica, for this neat activity from the Learning Activities for Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen:
Talking about Clockwork:“The kitchen is the heart of the home. It should run like clockwork.” What does it mean to say that the kitchen should “run like clockwork”? Why was Lillian’s kitchen not running like clockwork? What was her solution?
Can you think about anything in your classroom or your home that needs to “run like clockwork”? What steps must be taken in order for this to happen?
As a class, walk around the classroom and make a list of any “inefficiencies.” Is there anything about the classroom’s design that could be improved on in order to save time and space?
Bobbi Miller
February is Black History Month in Canada so I trundled off to the library to find some good books on the topic. The librarian showed me a new book they had just received for their collection: Viola Desmond Won’t be Budged by Jody Nyasha Warner and Richard Rudnicki (Groundwood Books, 2010) This book tells a little known story of a black woman, Viola Desmond, in 1946 who refused to move out of her seat on the main floor of a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia to the balcony where, as the usher tells her, “your people have to sit.” Viola, however, does not budge. Eventually she is arrested by the police, put in jail over night, and fined twenty dollars for her resistance. Clearly, Viola’s act of defiance was in reaction to racist treatment, but the people of the time somehow could not articulate this second-class treatment of her as such. Viola was jailed and fined, ostensibly, for not paying the higher ticket price for sitting on the main floor, even though she offered to pay the extra one cent in tax required for such a privilege. When the black community of Nova Scotia rallied around Viola to appeal her conviction, the case was thrown out of court on a procedural technicality. The battle was not won; however, the point was made.
When I read this book to my daughter, the moment the theatre usher says to Viola “You people have to sit in the upstairs section,” she sensed something was wrong, but had trouble articulating it. Finally, she said “It’s racism, isn’t it?” stumbling a little over the R-word. She could hardly believe that Viola had to go to jail and be fined twenty dollars (which at the time would have been a significant amount to pay,) for not going upstairs to the balcony. As obvious as the racist treatment was in the situation, the word ‘racism’ somehow just didn’t seem to come up in the text or in the story — it was like the white elephant in the room. Racial segregation, did in fact, exist in Nova Scotia, but no one wanted to acknowledge it in this situation but Viola herself, by refusing to budge. And that was what made her rather singular much like Rosa Parks in the U.S.
This is a story Canadians need to know about themselves. I’m glad to have read it to my daughter whose eyes were opened to the history and experience of black Canadians in Nova Scotia.
Author: Judith Meyrick
Illustrator: Richard Rudnicki
Published: 2007 Nimbus Publishing (on JOMB)
ISBN: 1551096455
With spring upon us and green spaces awash with waddling waterfowl, this humourous account of an outraged donation-dependent duck provides an entertaining reminder of why we resist the temptation to feed our feathered friends.
Other books mentioned:
Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Today, as part of Blogging for a Cure, we're featuring illustrator Amy Young and the snowflake she created for Robert's Snow -- a fantastic fund-raiser for cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Blogger's Note: I'm a children's author and a middle school English teacher, so my students are collaborating on our series of illustrator profiles! Today's feature is courtesy of the Global Citizens in 3rd period English class!
Amy L. Young grew up in Watertown, MA. She started drawing at the age of three, and as she grew up, she dreamed of being an artist. By going to the Cleveland Institute of Art for two years and then Yale, she accomplished this goal. Later on, her first book, Belinda the Ballerina, was published in 2003. Like Belinda, Amy Young took dance lessons at the age of seven. She also wrote and illustrated two other books -- Belinda in Paris and Belinda and the Glass Slipper. Her three books do not just attract young, enthusiastic dancers. They also attract adults and other children because of her wit and comedy. Amy L. Young is a very talented writer and illustrator.
We had a chance to interview Amy about her snowflake and her work.
Globals: First of all, we were enchanted by your snowflake. What was the inspiration for that design? What made you think of Emmalina the Mud Fairy and the sunflower that you chose?
Amy: I'm glad you like my snowflake! Emmalina is a character from THE MUD FAIRY, a book I have written which will be published by BloomsburyUSA at some point (no publication date yet). Emmalina is sort of a tom-boy fairy, who would rather stomp in mud puddles and play with frogs than be all delicate and dainty. But she does still take an occasional nap on a flower, as you see on the snowflake. The idea of the sunflower just came to me as I was thinking about it. That's often how I get my best ideas; it's kind of like magic.
Globals: Why are you participating in Robert's Snow? Do you have family/friends who have been affected by cancer?
Amy: It is a great opportunity to do what I do best, and have it benefit a good cause. I really like that the entire illustration community has risen to the occasion to contribute. It feels good to be a part of a such a large, generous community. And yes, I have lost loved ones to cancer: two aunts, and, most recently, a very dear friend. It is a cruel disease, and I like to think I might have some small part in fighting it.
Globals: Why do you like illustrating so much, and what inspired you to become an illustrator and writer?
Amy: I remember being in nursery school when I was three years old, gluing one piece of paper to another, and saying, "I am going to be an artist when I grow up." I have no idea why I have always felt such a strong connection to making images, but it seems to satisfy a need. I have always liked writing, and making picture books seemed the
perfect way to combine those two things.
Globals: When you were young, what else did you want to be when you grew up?
Amy: Actually, nothing!
Globals: We're looking forward to reading about Belinda. What made you want to write about a ballerina?
Amy: The first Belinda story came to me in a flash -- it was as though I didn't make it up myself. It was just there. Looking back, I think I liked the idea of a ballerina with big feet. It was a funny image. But I also liked that she was incredibly graceful in spite of, or perhaps because of, her feet. It was a change to gently poke fun at
people's prejudices and assumptions.
Globals: Are the ballerina books autobiographical at all? Did you write about Belinda having big feet because you do?
Amy: In most ways I am not like Belinda: I have small, wide feet, like a duck; I am not as shy as Belinda is, and I probably have a bit more of a temper; I had never taken a ballet class before doing the first book. In spite of those differences, there is one major trait that Belinda and I have in common: I love doing art as much as she loves dancing. Interestingly, Belinda's love of dancing has rubbed off on me -- I now take ballet.
Globals: What's your favorite book that you wrote or illustrated?
Amy: I don't have a favorite, but right now I am very excited about the next Belinda book, which will come out on Valentine's Day. It is called Belinda Begins Ballet, and tells the story of how Belinda started dancing when she was a girl.
Globals: We read on your website that you've had a wide variety of jobs and even went to law school before your became an illustrator. Why did you decide to study law, and what made you leave it?
Amy: Well, I panicked. I didn't think that I would be able to make a living doing art, so I looked for something else. My father is a lawyer, and he loves his job, so I thought "I'll try that!" I was a lawyer for seven years. There was a lot that I liked about being a lawyer, but I really missed doing art -- just the way Belinda missed dancing. (Ah, there's the autobiographical part!)
Globals: We also noted that you didn't care for waitressing. How come?
Amy: I waitressed in a pizza place in a big city. When things got busy we were frantic trying to get everyone served, and some of the customers treated us as if we were barely human. Just not my cup of tea.
Globals: Now the rapid-fire questions...things that kids (and grownups who are just big kids) need to know! What's your favorite book ever?
Amy: I really don't have one favorite book. I like so many books, and different books suit different moods.
Globals: What was your greatest accomplishment in life?
Amy: Wow. That's a toughie. I think it is sort of amazing that I managed to get through Harvard Law School (I worked very hard!), but in a way I would say getting my first book published was a bigger accomplishment, because it was closer to my heart.
Globals: Do you like sushi?
Amy: Yes!
Globals: What's your most embarrassing moment (that you're willing to share)?
Amy: That would be eleventh grade math class. I was the only one who got the answer to one of the homework problems, and I was asked to go up in front of the whole class and explain how I did it. So I did, but it turns out my method was all wrong and really pretty stupid. There was this terrible awkward silence, and a few people tittered, and I really did wish I could sink into the floor and just disappear. The funny thing is that now it would take a whole lot more than that to embarrass me. I like to laugh at myself, and it makes life a lot more fun.
Globals: Have you ever ridden a horse?
Amy: Yes, but I would rather pat one and feed it and brush it and tell it how lovely it is, instead of riding it.
Globals: What's your biggest fear?
Amy: That I will be in the middle of a big presentation and my slides or PowerPoint will fail me. It's not that I'd be embarrassed so much as I wouldn't know what to do, because showing people images of what I do is so much a part of how I present material. I guess I would manage, but it would not be good.
Globals: Your favorite dessert?
Amy: Anything with chocolate!
Globals: Thanks, Amy, for taking the time to visit with us, and thanks for giving of your time and talents for the Robert's Snow project!
Amy: Thank YOU! One of the things I love about what I do is making contact with people like you!
Here is your chance to win a signed copy of one of Amy's books from the Belinda series. All you have to do is leave a comment on one of the snowflakes from Auction #3, and we'll enter you in a drawing for that signed book. You can also visit Amy Young's website to learn more about her work.
.jpg?picon=380)
