WE ARE STARLINGS: A Look Inside a Murmuration of Birds

A recent post was in praise of a contemporary picture book co-authored by the talented  Liz Garton Scanlon. In yet another prior post I celebrated a different Scanlon book, ONE DARK BIRD, which is among my all-time favorite picture books. (Check the post to read why I might say such a thing- especially as someone who resists choosing favorites!) It's a prime example of how a picture book story idea (a murmuration of starlings) can achieve greatness as a circle story in rhymed text as a counting book, a bedtime book, and an informative exploration of nature for even the very youngest audiences. 

Random House Studio, 2023

This recent nonfiction picture book, WE ARE STARLINGS: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration is also a writing collaboration. This time the authors are Robert Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli with glorious images by author/illustrator Marc Martin.

These two titles would make a great compare/contrast activity for everything from physicality to storytelling approaches to format. For example, this picture book is large-format, including a double-gatefold spread that allows a stunning murmuration to span nearly a meter on the sprawling pages, while ONE DARK BIRD is hand-sized-square, intimate, and begins with the focus on an individual bird. This new release is nonfiction while Scanlon's title is fiction/poetry with lyrical language. Both use spare text, and both illustrators provide brilliant colors and images, from closely focused to sprawling expanses. ONE SMALL BIRD moves from the singular to the mass, while WE ARE STARLINGS (even in that title) moves from the collective to smaller segments within a flock. BOTH are compelloing and  irresistible.

This title is a welcome explanation (partially) for anyone who has ever witnessed a murmuration and wondered things like "How do they do that?' or "Why don't they bump into each other?' or "Is one of them in charge?"  Then there is the lifetime question, launched as one of the first words we learn to speak... "Why?"

I was intrigued to learn some of those answers and to realize how little I had understood about the patterns of various species in nature, despite noticing and appreciating many of these phenomena throughout my lifetime. When nit comes to murmurations of starlings and how they can DO THAT, I still understand very little, but still much more than before reading this terrific picture book. It comes as no surprise that there is a survival aspect to this behavior, or that it has been observed over centuries. Knowing that does not detract in the least from the symphonic magic of murmurations, visually and even in the audible effect of their combined wings. I recommend both titles with all my heart!

If starlings and their individual/flocking and behavior patterns lends new respect to starlings, I highly recommend an excellent nonfiction book from a few years ago, MOZART'S STARLING, which I enjoyed and reviewed on GOODREADS, HERE. This one is for adults, but you'll learn plenty of bits in it that you'll rush to share with kids.

THE WORLD'S BEST CLASS PLANT

 That heading is NOT a typo. 

Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick are each talented authors in their own spaces. Together they have produced some enjoyable and special picture books. You might be familiar with other titles by this team: Five Minutes (That’s a Lot of Time) (No, It’s Not) (Yes, It Is) and Bob, Not Bob. (If not, these are bonus recommendations to check out!) Both feature seamless blending of humor, heart, and unique perspectives toward familiar situations. 

G. P. Putnam's Sons
2023

This talented pair has a new release starring, you guessed it, a CLASS PLANT! Not exactly a familiar scenario, even for those classrooms whose shelves are blooming with greenery. THE WORLD'S BEST CLASS PLANT, illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao, the story they've created for us is unique and resonates with the truths about classrooms, kids, and "pets". The premise is no great surprise.

Every other classroom, even the ART ROOM, has a pet of some kind. If you can imagine humor and tension resulting from this unhappy situation, you've got the humor part right. Mr. Boring's students (not his real name) are stuck with a CLASS PLANT! No excitement there, and certainly no fun, either. In the opening end papers we see these doubtful students trying to share class experiences with a small potted plant, resulting in side eye, sneers, yawns, and outright ignoring. They argue that there's no FUN stuff to do with a plant. Mr. Bummer (also not his real name) urges patience, learning about this odd choice, and giving things time to grow on you. 

Naming it JERRY wasn't much help. When Jerry begins to do strange things (sprouting long and twisty fronds, needing a bigger pot) the kids learn it is a spider plant, the offshoots are called spiderettes, and more. So far, so familiar. Then their own discoveries make them want others to know what terrific things they've learned about Jerry. 

(Anyone who has attempted to write text for picture books will have heard about  amping up the tension or action. This next step is a brilliant example of just such a step.) 

JERRY APPRECIATION DAY involves the entire school, but not until extensive planning and imaginative preparation are complete. Their new-found enjoyment and engagement with a simple plant have contributed to extensive learning, class coherence, and thrilled last-day kiddos when Mr. Perfect (should be his real name) announced that every child would take home a potted spiderette to keep! 

That sounds like a natural place to end, but if you had the talent of this team you'd know that there can be more, better ways to conclude. I won't spoil those brilliant last couple of pages by revealing details, but anyone trying to write for kids should refer often to the magic quality in this book that demonstrates what is added by making a story as GREAT as it can be. 

Make no mistake that the text alone carries all that power. It's a more-than-worthy text for entertainment and insights, enjoyable and suited for many ages. But the illustrations play a significant role in delivery of that fun, as they should. The closing endpapers provide a view of those same kids, many months after the opening papers, eagerly sharing their days with Jerry in utter bliss and satisfaction. I also love how the diverse and clever kids express their reactions and approaches throughout each scene. A fun exercise could ask kids to label the emotional state of kids with various expressions, imagine what they might be thinking/saying, and also what THEY, the reader, might be doing or thinking if in the story. 

One additional note has to do with the illustration choice to make Mr. (you'll eventually learn his correct name) a young Black educator whose choices clearly reveal mastery of his profession despite his comparative youth. Nothing in the text indicate that. Black, male educators are desperately needed in schools, especially young elementary populations. Mr. (______)'s  race has NOTHING to do with the story. There is so little experience of this in real life (that it is a viable and desirable choice for young Black males to teach kids) that his presence and success in this picture book setting is a priceless example to kids of every background. If you can see it, you can be it! 

The combination of talents of the three creators of this book (and certainly their editorial and art director contributors) are also evidence that two heads are better than one, and imagination is enhanced by collaboration. I'd love to hear if you agree.

TOO EARLY... But Never Too Late for Daddy

 I did not write a post in celebration of FATHERS' DAY last Sunday, as I had done in the past, HERE and HERE. Looking back, though, I have also written about the importance of fathers' work on other days of the year, HERE, HERE, and HERE. That was reassuring, reminding me of my innate resistance to celebrating and remembering important people and contributions at designated times, dictated by the calendar. So, without the apology I had planned to offer for not posting this last Sunday, on Fathers' Day, I am excited to share one of the most tender, glowing, and huggable picture books I've read lately.

ABRAMS
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
2022

TOO EARLY sounds as if it, too, is about bad timing. Written by Nora Ericson and illustrated by Elly MacKay, the first line, "I wake up too early", clarifies the topic. This youngster is emerging from bed in starlight-spangled jammies, toting bed-bunny in one hand, waking up too early for her exhausted parents. Even so, her sleepy daddy rises (reluctantly) and together they spend a precious few early morning minutes together: watching the doggies stretch, sipping on mugs of warm milk and hot coffee, experiencing the big sky, cool air, and brilliant moon on the back porch.

The scenes portrayed on each double spread are mounted on blue backgrounds with masterful use of glowing light, shadows, and perspectives to allow both daddy and child to notice the night star, the coo of doves, and the warmth of a porch hug. 

With each page turn, the background lightens slightly, blended tones of pink and yellow emerging. Eventually the baby cries upstairs and "rush" takes its turn while the doggies slip back to sleep. From the nearly indigo front papers to the pale blue end papers, readers have shared these precious father-child minutes. Just as the family pair are likely to do this again and again (since that "too early" waking is clearly a pattern), readers may return to the book again and again to experience this.

The text is simple and subtle, with hints toward rhyme and other lyrical lifts, but relying on purity of phrase and childlike observations. The combination of wry remarks and background visual details allow for light humor and recognition of real life, too.

People often say they are "Larks" or "Owls", some waking (and functioning best) in the early hours with others shining in the very late hours of each day. Whatever determines that in each of us, it does appear to be innate. I didn't learn those labels until much later, but knew from early on that I was a lark. Dad was the household "first up" in my childhood. He used an alarm but usually I was lying awake to hear it go off. At an early age, unlike this child, I'd reluctantly stay in bed, waiting until it was time for me to get up. By the time I was in school, though, I'd wait for Dad to click the  bathroom door closed, preparing for another day at work. Then I'd slip downstairs, open the front door to retrieve the morning paper, and settle into a chair to read, refolding each section  when I finished. The house was still and dark except for my single light. By the time I heard the bathroom door open, I'd settle the paper at Dad's place at the table and head up to get ready for school. On a few mornings when the paper held some longer attraction, I'd feel Dad's hand on my head when he came down, sometimes saying, "Good morning, early bird!". 

I read many books that resonate with my memories, many books I wish I'd written. TOO EARLY feels to me like a book that came from a personal memory but will feel to many readers as if it was written just for them.

What's Wrong? Nothing! Well, Maybe Something!

 Books can be "stand-alones", sequels, companion books, trilogies, or series. In this case let's just call these a "pair" of picture books that will have kids giggling and asking you to read them again and again. Created by the same pair, author Jory John with illustrations by Erin Kraan, these characters/settings are likely to find themselves in future woodland animal adventures, complete with appealing subtitles. 

Farrar, Strauss, Giroux  2021

First came SOMETHING'S WRONG! A Bear, A Hare, and Some Underwear. The premise in this case (and the next) is simple. A sweet but ordinary moment happens while the character is safely at home. This alone is somewhat laughable, but as the story unfolds a persistent state of denial becomes the source of humor. Those increasingly insistent situations are giggle-worthy for even the youngest through illustrations, but will be elevated by an effective adult reader of the text. (Use those character voices, Big People!) This bear, stars in both books, has a significantly recognizable capacity to rationalize, explain, divert attention, and otherwise avoid admitting the truth. 

Kids a bit older than toddlers will recognize the futility and fun in this string of verbal efforts, while recognizing themselves in similar situations.This first book launches with the unlikely but surprisingly sweet JEFF the bear reciting his morning routines, with the added note that he had tried on his grandma's recent gift. From the cover you'll guess that this was a pair of "tidy whities", which his sleepy-bear self forgot to remove. Despite the feeling that something is wrong, Jeff heads out. When friends note this and try, tactfully, to ask if anything is wrong that day, Jeff insists  that everything is fine. His hare friend, ANDERS, is honest enough to speak directly about this situation, then takes the lead to avoid JEFF being teased by the other wood critters. 

Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, 2023

It's no surprise when the next title features these two friends as stars of NOTHING'S WRONG! A Hare, A Bear, and Some Pie to Share. In this case, though, Anders begins at home, making a surprise apple pie for their picnic using Grandma's best recipe. When the perfect pie, cooling on the window sill, is ruined by a storm, Anders hates to admit the truth. He tries denial. Along the way, with a silly make-up mix of foods stuffed in a yarn basket, JEFF senses something is wrong with Anders, using his Bear-bounty of verbal attempts to make everything all right. 

Kids of any age, but especially in this early age  group, struggle with admitting mistakes, acknowledging confusion, or feeling embarrassed. These feelings can result in what adults readily label "lying", when in fact it is a developing mind in full-blown denial, creating a truth they cling to, avoiding those uncomfortable feelings. That denial, the longer it goes, becomes more and more entrenched. A good friend (or caregiver, teacher, parent, or sibling) may step in and provide a bridge to get past the pain of such misery. These two books are great examples of such kindnesses, and also open the door to discussions of the feelings themselves.

This newer title, too, has an eventual happy ending that involves the woodland population of critters as a large group of friends. And, of course, PIE. Nothing's sweeter than that. Except, perhaps, the illustrations. Kraan has produced a cast of characters with the comic qualities of exaggerated physical features, especially expressive eyes, with gentle-toned spreads featuring limited black line and accent colors to draw the eye to the emotional state of the players. The backgrounds and some other stretches of pattern incorporate what might be assumed to be digital stamps but were produced with linocut prints and woodcuts, assembled digitally. The soft-edges of those compiled scenes add to the effectiveness of occasional art-created text, with texturized and blur-softened art where font appears, and adding depth to such elements as fur and shadow.

The success of both talented creators is no surprise, and might limit the number of new titles for this pair of characters in new situations, but young readers will be rooting for Anders and Jeff and their crew to star together in future picture books. 

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JUNETEENTH Is Not Just a DAY!

 JUNETEENTH is now a national holiday. This recognition is a mere century-and-a-half-plus overdue. Hmmm...  more about that at the end of this post.

Perhaps the long delay is appropriate because the holiday marks a two-and-a-half year delay in news of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching enslaved people in Texas. Who knew that lateness was worth celebrating?  It's an event worthy of our acknowledgement and honor, yes, of course. Even such a criminal-yet-legally-sanctioned practice was eliminated by executive order, those who were its victims were denied news of that freedom until the announcement was asserted by federal soldiers who brought the news to their area, eventually.

EERDMANS BYR, 2010

BEN AND THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION is written by Pat Sherman and illustrated by the enormously talented and recently deceased  Floyd Cooper.  This book has stayed in publication for more than a decade. The story is one of truth and determination. Based on a real, enslaved young man, Benjamin C. Holmes. Ben was enslaved but apprenticed to a tailor in Charleston, SC. He was inspired to learn to read, despite the serious punishments that could result from that effort. As a tailor-helper, he was often tasked with errands around town. In that role he cautiously discovered ways in which he could teach himself to read using carefully framed questions, public signage, and the few letters his father had taught him before leaving home. 

His warm and supportive family connections are important and defy any notion one might hold that "his life wasn't so bad". His mother was sold away shortly before slavery ended and he never saw her again in his life. 

The value of literacy, of Ben's ability to read at all, was treasured by other enslaved people. When rumors of a change in their condition filtered through to them, they secreted a copy of the paper into their miserable communal housing. There they begged Ben to read the contents to him, to let them know if the rumors were true, or not. We all know that the proclamation was, indeed, true, and binding. After reading, the men surrounding Ben broke out in cheers. It was several moments before Ben recognized that the cheers were not only for the news, but also for BEN. For his proof that reading was within his reach, and so was possible for them, too. 

I rarely convey the full arc of a story, but his one has been around for more than a decade and the significance of this news being obscured,  even in the battlegrounds of the South, is a perfect underscore to the JUNETEETH DAY element in this post. The fact that Southeast Texas plantations were more remote and rumors/news was a further reach there, more easily denied or hidden, does not change the overall effort to deny them freedom in any way possible.

Eerdmans BYR,2010

Eerdmans is a publisher that actively pursues stories of strength and truth. In that same year they published THE BEATITUDES; From Slavery to Civil Rights, written by Carol Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Tim Ludwig. This picture book is gorgeous in its use of the timeless Beatitudes to underscore lyrical, limited text that depicts the history captured/enslaved people from the horror of the Passage through their efforts to sustain hope and faith in makeshift church services, through both song and prayer. This depiction of Black-American history extends through Jim Crow as formally enforced in the South and "unofficially" in de facto practices throughout the rest of this country. Once again, it is evident that even when legal proclamations insist that ALL people deserve freedom and equality, social efforts and patterns undermine and outright deny those facts.

Back to JUNETEENTH, which was not even referenced in either book. Why not share titles regarding this overdue holiday recognition? I did share a book that directly explores those specific events HERE, in my review of  A FLAG FOR JUNETEENTH. I also interviewed the author/textile artist KIM TAYLOR, HERE.  Of course I'd welcome you taking a look at both posts and checking out that lovely book, learning more about the actual events that sparked the holiday.

More importantly, I hope you will take these posts to inspire you to share more actual history and backstory about our American approach to freedom and those who are free-- or not. Black Americans have informally celebrated this occasion since the beginning, but why should it matter to any of us who are not BLACK? In my opinion, and that of many others, this event is an iconic example of institutional racism, so often denied to exist. Let's see this occasion as an opportunity to recognize real history, to accept it as a symbol of that history. Juneteenth acknowledges our endless national effort to deny the reality of unjust treatment of anyone who does not appear to be part of the dominant culture, even when their credentials and accomplishments might be demonstrably more "worthy" of rights and freedoms than anyone else, of any color or heritage.

Admitting that, accepting the truth and proclaiming that changes are long overdue, is the least we can all do. The VERY least. But it is a start.

AN OHIO ICON: Grandma Gatewood Takes a Hike

 Have you ever heard of Grandma Gatewood? 

She's a real-life woman whose determination and durability are outweighed only by her lifelong love of walking. Born into a huge family in a rural Ohio community, she was gifted in many ways with plants, people, and crossing any surface on foot "as the crow flies", wherever that direction took her. She walked to help the ailing, deliver gifts, and to arrive at any destination or event, on foot. Even turning down rides to make her own way there.

It was not until after her own children were grown that she read a book about hiking the APPALACHIAN TRAIL. It wasn't long before she learned what that meant, and that no woman had ever hiked the entire trail alone. 

As she "prepared" for doing just that, her lack of understanding was astonishing, but not to her. Why wouldn't her regular sneakers suffice instead of hiking boots, or a simply stitched canvas bag instead of full backpack gear? Food was no issue, since she had spent her lifetime learning to forage in the wild. 

OHIO UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2016

I  won't provide even a sketchy description of why her first attempt failed, since the author and illustrator of  WHEN GRANDMA GATEWOOD TOOK A HIKE,  Michelle Houts and Erica Magnus have depicted that brave but foolhardy effort with respect and emotional depth. 

Rather than accepting this disappointment with resignation, though, Grandma Gates returned home to recover and rethink her approach. You can certainly surmise that this book would never have been written if her intentions had failed. This irrepressible woman had her mind set on hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. She was not to be deterred. 

Her persistence paid off, but the ways in which she learned and grew (and grew famous!) along the way makes an inspiring read for any age. With summer just beginning, a book like this could result in young (or old) taking the steps (intentional pun) necessary to learn about and practice hiking. By late summer or on fall weekends, local trails should be a satisfying piece of cake for those who believe as Grandma Gatewood did, that land location is reachable on foot! Give the book a try,  and then consider doing the same for seeing our amazing world at natural eye level and walking speed!

SUMMER IS FOR COUSINS... Of Any Age!

 After recently moving from my career-long home, hundreds of miles from my hometown, I am now located closer to many family members of many generations. In the past six weeks I've had more opportunities to enjoy their company (and their colorful personalities) than I've had in half a century. Most gathering during those visits were limited in time and interactions by focus on weddings, funerals, or annual holidays. In these less formal, more "ordinary" meetings, many recollections are being shared of childhood fun as cousins, of traditional gatherings, of shared (and contested) memories!

ABRAMS BOOKS For Young Readers, 2023

Perhaps that's why this new picture book appeals to me so much. SUMMER IS FOR COUSINS,  written by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Abhi Alwar, is vibrant with color, personalities, connections, and extended-family-love. It also resonates with my own memories, of beaches and ice cream outings and shared cabins at the lake and rotating  family turns to cook meals.

In LaRocca's contemporary picture book, these cousin-family traditions are showcased on the endpapers in seemingly-scrapbook-taped snapshots of game night, story time, campfires, broken limbs, identities and and very special cousin friendships. So familiar.

This particular family is, from the start, ethnically different from mine. Grandpa and Grandma are called Thatha and Pati, but I didn't need to speak another language or use Google-translate to know that. The text and illustrations retain distinctly authentic identities, diets, and details while resonating fully with the patterns of family lives that make the meaning immediately clear. Other things are labeled in recognizably generic language, kid-speak. For example, the shared vacation spot is not a wooded cabin or tent, but "a house that's not any of ours", as was our childhood gathering place. Kids leave such arrangements to their parents, yet assume that the summer ritual of gathering and celebrating the season together in a vacation spot WILL occur, even if not in the same place each year. They count on it.

In early pages the children are tagged with names, although not ones as common to my background as "Susie" or "Joey". No sense of distance from my llife, though, because their cartoonish enthusiasm and interactions are universally familiar. Each year's return reveals changes, the youngest no longer the youngest. A special friendship with an older cousin is a  worrying risk to the first-person narrator, Ravi. Could his cousin have outgrown his interest in spending time with Ravi? His voice has changed, he is incredibly taller. Would he still enjoy their favorite flavor of ice cream, or share his older-guy interests, like paddleboarding. 

Amid the many satisfying situations depicted in lively, action-packed illustrations and delightfully direct text, this tension of younger-Ravi's concern/hope is a thread that also recalled my experiences- always seeking the company of the older cousin rather than the younger one, hoping for affirmation that I was worthy of their continuing friendships, or at least their awareness. 

This is much more than a nostalgic mirror of a fun childhood summer, though. The dynamic of these cousins actually forms a dramatic throughline for Ravi to prove his theory that their special friendship has overcome their age/size differences. When the kids claim a night of dinner prep, Ravi sets out to test his cousin, to see if they still share the same favorite flavor of ice cream. I love his proactive approach and also his appealing decision to make the ice cream himself. Foodies, rejoice in this example of kids cooking and turning "making" into play! 

There is plenty to enjoy in this new picture book, for early readers, their families, and even those of us out here on the elder branches of our family trees. Apart from the affirmative values of shared family time, meals at the table, outdoor play, intergenerational activities, and family traditions, this is an ideal example of the power to both provide lesser-published  mirrors for those with non-western identities and open windows for others. It's a potent example of the ways in which "Same": and "Different" are utterly inadequate terms in a complex society such as we inhabit. Ours is a society (*most of USA) in which we live in neighborhoods that are siloed. A book like this takes our occasional and often limited contacts with people we might see only in "roles" at school or in retail or business settings beyond those artificial boundaries into their lives. Lives so much like our own. What a priceless gift that is, to those who rarely see themselves in such books, and even more to those who rarely see those lives in real life. Check it out at your library or invest a few bucks for a book that will be a treasure across generations. You'll be making memories!

For families with older kids, check out Rajani LaRocca's Newbery Honor title, RED, WHITE, and WHOLE, a phenomenal read involving the ongoing stress of strict family expectations in conflict with the immersive social patterns of a broader community. It's another loving family tale, but one immersed in the stresses of daily work and school life with the added burden of serious illness.

POETRY Picture Books: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

Technically, these are not both poetry books. In an award category, the first would be considered a poetry collection by a single author. The second is a concept picture book in rhyme. Both are illustrated in ways that enhance the text, both are smile-inducing, and both will appeal to a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and can be shared for many purposes. 

CAMERON KIDS, 2023

ANIMALS IN PANTS is written by Suzy Levinson and illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell This first picture book is, in case you had any doubt, the RIDICULOUS side of the title in the post. I spent many happy minutes simply imagining how the author/poet first explored that premise... What would I have to say about animals in pants? In poems? 

Well, the cover offers hints (and ha-ha's) to invite readers to open up and explore the poems and images inside. The front end papers pose the central question;

"WHAT? You've never seen an animal in pants?"

By the way, the closing end papers suggest there could be a sequel, with this question: "What? You've never seen animals in hats?" After reading this collection I'd happily enjoy that newer offering if it comes to pass.

Let me just say that the star of the title page is a bear in pants who reminds me of a lovable character in one of the earliest picture book collections of my childhood. So I was a fan from the start. Opposite that page are the dedications by the author (To Dan: I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LEGGINGS), and by the illustration pair, to their nieces and nephews (THANK YOU FOR WEARING PANTS). With a start like that, nothing could disappoint! 

An array of animals from the familiar (cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, etc.) to the exotic (snakes, antelopes, yaks) and concluding with a clever poem incorporating a surprise tailor.Each poem could become the favorite of a variety of readers of many ages, many lines are memorable enough to become memes, to spread smiles into grins, on to "let me read this to you" funny. So, this, dear readers, is my nominee as a ridiculously irresistible picture book of poems.

LITTLE BROWN & COMPANY, 2022

Next up, WHEN I'M WITH YOU, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, lands squarely in the SUBLIME half of the title. I have come to expect the very best from either of these creators, regardless of their partners in picture book creating. But when they pair their talents the results are often magical. (If you've missed earlier comments about their work together, check HERE for my thoughts about WHEREVER YOU GO and HERE for BE BRAVE!) 

MIller's picture book success is indisputable, and she has also established a strong following for her workshops and webinars to support and coach other writers of picture book text. In those settings and in program presentations I've heard her say that she seldom writes in rhyme. I'll share my thought that when she does, though, she knocks it out of the park. In several of those titles, her rhymed text works perfectly for the purpose of the book, while actively developing the full narrative for the story arc as it unfolds, page by page. in this case, that is true, but it is also true that individual stanzas could stand alone as independent poems that might be memorized and recited by a delighted child who falls in love with the language and sense of those lines. 

An example of one stanza I adore (among many of these) is this:

"You're the numbers of my set,

all the suns I don't know yet.

But if one plus one makes two,

I'm the one who goes with you."

If you assume that every stanza repeats that line prompt, you underestimate the skill and craft that guides Miller's writing, and Wheeler's visual narrative that propel these charming and diverse characters, including a dog-buddy pair, through many life experiences. The ending is satisfying and inspired, making this a kid-friendly picture book that's also a brilliant choice for friends of any age. That might be a friend moving away, a mentor-mentee gift of thanks, a parent-child gift as relationships mature beyond dependence to friendships, or an end-of-school-year gift to a very special teacher. This, though, is why I call it sublime. Whoever the audience, whatever the purpose, this is a picture book you won't want to miss.

ONE SMALL THING: The Power of Kindness

BEAMING BOOKS, 2023

 On this post-holiday, quiet weekend, I bring you a "quiet book" that emanates power and grace. ONE SMALL THING is written by Marsha Diane Arnold and illustrated by Laura Watkins. The quotation marks around "quiet book" are intentional, in that they are so often written by various folks in the picture book business (and it IS a business) in declining submissions (isn't that a kinder word choice than rejection?) that do not involve some frantic or antic actions. "Quiet books" don't sell as strongly as, say, a book about robots or superheroes or magic. And yet, a quiet book in the hands of a "STORYMAGICIAN",  as Arnold's website subheading rightly tags her, can transform lives. I know of no greater superpower than that.

This latest offering from Arnold is launched by a tragedy--  Raccoon's home has burned. The comfort begins immediately, first in knowing that Raccoon is safe, has  supportive friends, and pet Cricket escaped, although is now lost. 

This opening alone would have hooked me, since there were more than a few students in my teaching career, of many ages, who had survived such a trauma. The ultimate "it's not so bad" sense of comfort among friends features as an inadequate way many of us address the immediate and lasting pain and loss of such an event. Would "shelter" of any kind ever feel as safe as it once did? Would the loss of keepsakes and photos and... just the capacity to return to a place of memories... ever ease? As the rest of the community observed their friend recovering, would the impulse to comfort dissolve into daily duties, assuming the one who was traumatized would be as "good as new"?

This seemingly simple story opens with sunny endpapers, suggesting such a casually happy ending. Minimal but marvelous text reveals that those comforting friends are buzzing about this sad occurrence. Each "thank goodness" informs readers of reasons to be grateful despite the losses. They also reveal Raccoon's personality, how he loved living along the river, how his feet were  burned "a bit", and that "silly" cricket jumped away to safety but now no one knows where it is. Who has a pet cricket anyway? 

The illustrator informs us, too, that these are heartfelt words of comfort among friends who ache for Raccoon's loss, but quickly console themselves that all is well and they can return to their own lives. These very appealing and authentic, familiar woodland animals display expressions that  even the very young will recognize and empathize with throughout, another powerful touch that allows such a special book to reach audiences from preverbal to teens and beyond. They also represent the typical range of reactions among friends, from the practical problem-solvers, to the overly sensitive, to those who expect someone else to help, to those who feel helpless, to the grumbler who sees this all as unnecessary fussing. As an adult reader I've witnessed (and experienced) such reactions to tragedy, cringing at the thought that these generally result in nothing being done. 

And that is precisely how Arnold proceeds, allowing each character to return to daily life with no updates on Raccoon, at first. First, in fact, we observe a series of double spreads in which we join each friend in their own own homes/gardens, rich with detail and interests and habits that invite us to linger, to examine closely how the individual has found safety,  comfort, and shelter from a sometimes harsh world outside. Each, in their own way, realizes that they cannot "fix" Raccoon's situation but is able to offer ONE SMALL THING that might be welcomed. Only as those conclusions are reached does Beaver find Raccoon soaking his burned feet in the river, leading him to a new home where the collected friends and their SMALL THINGS are no longer ONE. In fact, such individual acts create a new ONE-ness among them that satisfies thoroughly.

I am purposely not providing details of such small things they chose, not only to avoid spoiling the story (that couldn't happen) but to allow readers to realize how truly SMALL those decisions were but how enormously powerful each decision and action proved to be. 

Most importantly, these combined small things, though unplanned efforts, gave an immeasurably large result. Or at least, as Badger admits, "It was a little something." Only as this gratifying ending occurred and I closed the back cover did I realize that those end papers were not exactly "sunny". Such losses and pain are never gone from us. They are, in fact, revealed in the glow of the day that shows on the cover. I imagined that was the dawn of the day of the tragedy. Iinstead, after seeing the expressions of the friends and the lingering longing of Raccoon, I think those endpapers reflect a blend of dusk with honey and butter and safety and comfort, all of which wrap around a community to offer hope. 

Arnold has proven herself worthy of that STORYMAGICIAN title, as I observed in reviews of LIGHTS OUT, HERE, and LOST AND FOUND, HERE. Each is, in fact, a "quiet book", a blend of story and format and visual narrative that resonates at first reading, calls for return readings, echoing throughout succeeding days and years. My recent move is into an area that has very bright street lights, one of which is outside my living space. I noted that it is using energy-smart bulbs, but not before I noted that the fixtures are designed to cast light down to the streets, blocking it from lighting the sky. I'm aware of DARK SKY activists, and was concerned before reading LIGHTS OUT. Even so, my notice of that  fixture design led me to remember those animals and their journey with a smile on their behalf. Now that's power. 

Do one small thing, please. Begin by finding and reading this book. Then share it with someone. Then carry it forward in your mind and heart, turning kind thoughts and worry into actions for those in need, whether friend or stranger. KINDNESS is not a concept, it is verb.And it is NOT a small thing.