BRI-I-I-I-N-NG!!! School Bells Ringing Soon

 There's no denying that "Back to School" will have an ientirely different ring to it than it did in September, 2020, or in the years prior, for that matter. Even so, there are some universal aspects to it that are undeniable, and that includes the need for some outstanding back-to-school picture books to share in the early days. That's because behind the many faces (no matter how many or how few, whether masked or not) sharing the experience of a new class, there will just that many different emotional and individual attitudes about the experience. The one thing each kiddo shares with the others is that their feelings are mixed. 

Recognizing this, I particularly appreciate back-to-school books that bring "all the feels" to the surface and allow us to experience them together. There are actually some great back-to-school read-aloud chapter books, but nothing beats the power of picture books in providing a complete, compact, and compelling moment of connection. I'll share two titles in this post, and tag on some come-along titles for each. 

Clarion Books, June, 2021

LITTLE BAT IN NIGHT SCHOOL stars a subtle but irresistible little regular among the many delightful bats in a series of "Bat" titles created by writer/illustrator BRIAN LIES. I've been a fan of LIES (rhymes with "cheese"), since I first encountered the picture book he illustrated by I. C. Springman, MORE. (That's your first bonus, and I hope you'll click to read my original review of that amazing book, but please read on about these school books first.)

Sorry, Little Bat, that I paused to make that connection. You've dealt with waiting for the spotlight through many books in the past, but you never lost that cheerful and curious personality of yours, or the  little yellow floaties that you sport in each appearance. And now you finally get to be the star of the story when you go to NIGHT SCHOOL! where else, when else, would a bat go to learn about the big wide world? And Little Bat was thoroughly prepared and pumped for this adventure, as the cover suggests. Even with Mama Bat at his side, the size and population of nocturnal animals in his new class casts a shadow across his brow. 

Mr.s C., the Raccoon teacher, extends a warm welcome, and Little Bat recognizes nighttime critters before he spots his target- other bats! In this parallel-to-kid-world, those bats are already friends and are not exactly welcoming to Little Bat. He turns to his cubby to unload supplies, where he meets little Ophelia Possum, who is also a tad timid, and is loaded with mistaken assumptions about bats. 

In page after detailed page, the two tentative friends ("I'll go if you will.") bolster each other through that first night of songs, art, math, snacks, and incredibly funny-punny scenes. In each, there is a steady tug of who is better at what, who is friends with whom, and how each lands in an assumed pecking order. Ophelia and Little Bat offer their thinking and energy to the rest in a building challenge and, as dawn approaches, they are weaving the ties that will make them into a class. When Mrs. C. closes the night with a read aloud that has them all begging for more, her reassurance that they'll all be back together the next night sounds like good news, agreeing that they'll all be coming back.

The magic of that transformation from individuals, friend packs, bold and timid kids into the foundation of yearlong family is undeniable, and Lies captures the process in these pages brilliantly. Just as undeniable is the magical quality of the art/illustration, encouraging close inspection of details, attention to all layers on each page with appreciation for the nuanced effects of "humanizing" the natural traits of each critter while generating smiles of recognition. Do not miss the fun of Little Bat's  "thumbs up" or the perfectly scaled school supplies and environment in relation to each animal. I could go on,  but I won't. 

Make Me A World, Random House. 2017

MY FIRST DAY demands our attention with that phenomenal cover, reminiscent of the iconic GREAT WAVE painting by Hokusai. This vibrant, vital story of a most unusual first day of school is the result of the combined talents of  Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien. In this remarkable story , a young Vietnamese boy is the first person narrator of his departure from home, by boat, on the great river, Mother Mekong. 

On page after glorious page, the first day of school jitters are magnified a thousand-fold by the fact that this will be the boy's first time taking the boat alone, through floodwaters and mangroves, cresting wild waves on the sea, navigating the sounds and teeming lives through the "hallways" of the forest, where fear "slithers like a python" through areas that feel unfamiliar when traveled alone. 

The language is just as lush and lovely as the images, with familiar school terms deftly applied to this dense and imposing wildlife: 

"(I) write my name across the blackboard of the river."

""The sky is a crayon box full of colors."

"Schools of fish glint beneath the waves."

Back matter is direct and informative about the twelfth-largest river in the world, the Mekong. I can't imagine a more appealing and effective book to explore the overwhelming but exciting sensations that accompany the adventure of starting school than this. Nor could there be a better way to explore the flora, fauna, and allure of the Mekong Delta ecosystem and the way of life it supports. Its lives contrast dramatically with many readers in western culture, and yet will be  surprisingly familiar to those who live in the Everglades or in Louisiana back country. The layering of familiar, universal back-to-school emotions and preparations with this glorious adventure through expanses of wood, water, and wonder is unforgettable.  This is a must-see, must-read, and must-share picture book.

The bonus is a title featured in an earlier interview with co-creator Baptiste Paul (with Miranda Paul), ADVENTURES TO SCHOOL. This appealing nonfiction book provides brief profiles of some of the most dramatic and amazing ways that children from around the globe travel on their adventures to school. With real-world examples from jungles to mountaintops to waterways and more, this is a perfect choice to have on hand when a young reader (or you!) reads MY FIRST DAY and wonders- would children actually travel to school in such astonishing ways? 

Yes, they would. They do.

And in LITTLE BAT's book you'll find an answer to the ongoing question, "Why floaties?" 

No matter how you get to school, in a boat, on a school bus, or as a LITTLE BAT, the trip will be worth it. 

Interview with Baptiste Paul, Author of THE FIELD

I've been working hard to resist depression imposed by the seemingly endless, record-breaking April snow in our part of the country. In my prior post, here, I escaped the relentless cold and wind by traveling, virtually, to the tropics with two delightful new picture books, THE FIELD and ISLANDBORN. If you missed that post, I urge you to check out my reviews and get your hands on both books, sooner rather than later.

NorthSouth Books, 2018

In this post, the author of THE FIELD, Baptiste Paul, found time in his jam-packed life to join me for this interview about his debut picture book. Read on to get some peeks at his other books coming soon! 

I've known Baptiste for several years now, and his current success is exciting to experience. Some of his previous interviews can be read here, and here, in which he shares "the story behind the story". That includes a book trailer you won't want to miss.

Congratulations on the success of your debut picture book, Baptiste. You’ve described your excitement about sharing your vibrant memories of daylong play on St. Lucia. I thoroughly enjoyed THE FIELD and I look forward to sharing it directly with kids and as gifts. You're a busy man, so let's get this interview started. (Questions in black, Baptiste's responses in BOLD/blue)

Baptiste Paul, author

Q: One look at the cover of THE FIELD will have kids clamoring for it in libraries, classrooms, and bookstores. Since you’ve been on the road and meeting kids you’ve been able to see their reactions to your book in person. Can you tell us a bit about that experience? What kids have said? What someone said that surprised you?  If it was all that you hoped it would be?

BP: I enjoy sharing this book with kids. I usually start every presentation with the question, “Do you like to play?” Most times, all the kids’ hands shoot up, eager to tell me about their favorite things to do. Early on in this process, I realized my goal is to take kids on a journey. So I decided that at school visits I would meet the kids at their level literally— which usually means the floor. The kids form a circle around me while I read the book, pass a ball, and and make one-on-one connections. In the last few months, I have received more high fives and fist bumps than ever before. In fact, in my most recent tour of school visits, some kids were so well prepared for me by reading the book and bombarding me with questions that I forgot to even read my book during the presentation! (They kindly reminded me.) This is all to say, yes—the experience so far has been all I hoped for and more.

Since you asked, it surprises me sometimes when adults seek me out after the presentation to thank me for taking them to a special place and time in their lives where ‘play’ made them happy, too.

Q: How has “becoming a published author” changed your life- and feel free to be as concrete or as spiritual about it as you’d like! 

BP: The ride, the journey had been super duper fun but busy at the same time. I juggle many schedules. With children, school visits, a full-time job and an author-wife, there are always so many things going on. To be honest, writing books has never been about me — it’s all about the kids, the story, and what I can share or give. I want each child to take my story and make it their own, create memories, and just play.

Q: You have co-authored with your author-wife, Miranda Paul, a nonfiction picture book that will be available soon, ADVENTURES TO SCHOOL.  How did writing non-fiction change your approach to writing?

BP: We both enjoy writing non-fiction. Writing a book like Adventures To School required a lot of assistance from a number of people. Writing non-fiction is not only about the facts but making sure each person and culture is represented with dignity and care. Small details matter. Little parts are not insignificant and we’re grateful for people who helped us look over things, since there were multiple sources and each had different experiences.

Farmer Tantoh Nforba, 2005

Miranda and I also recently finished up the text for a book called I AM FARMER (Millbrook/Lerner, February 2019), which is a nonfiction picture book biography of Tantoh Nforba, an environmentalist from Cameroon. Tantoh is cultivating an organic farming movement in addition to bringing clean, sustainable water to villages in need. The book will shine a spotlight on his good work and tour proceeds will benefit the Save Your Future Association. These are both books I feel very proud to have worked on, and they shed light on important global topics.

(Cover image is not yet available for I AM FARMER, but you can learn more about it here.) 

Thank you, Baptiste, for sharing your time with us here, and doing all the work necessary to produce these amazing books and others still to come. Your hard work made me reflect on this:

little bee books, May 1, 2018

Any stubborn season of lingering snow is a bit of an analogy for a writer's life. Even when things take longer than expected, that sense of a never-changing, lifeless landscape will eventually reveal new life. The delay can even result in a more robust and vigorous abundance of colorful sprouts and blossoms than a milder season might produce. At least our eyes and hearts will view it in that way. 
When a debut author has  three picture books coming on the scene in less than a full year it may seem like an overnight success. Instead, like the passage of seasons, Baptiste's inspirations, research, memories, drafts, revisions, and submissions (with inevitable rejections) were all unseen by the public. Now, sprouting before our very eyes, we witness the first blossoms of a long and successful career. 
I'll take encouragement from that analogy to value those daily efforts, knowing they are setting the stage for even better times ahead. And, while working away, we should all remind ourselves of Baptiste's tagline: MAKE PLAY PART OF EVERY DAY!