LULLABY FOR THE KING: A Glorious New Picture Book

 

Nikki Grimes

 When NYTimes best-selling author/poet Nikki Grimes writes any book for any audience, I pay attention. I hope you do, too. Her titles for middle grade, older youth, and adults have produced legions of avid fans. Count me among them. Her picture books, though, are my favorites. If you missed my recent post about a breathtaking, heart-wrapping release is HERE.

Her text always enchant my ears with their lyrical musicality, whether rhymed or free verse. Each word earns its place on the page and invites multiple re-readings by families, librarians, teachers, and young readers. Her text, from beginning to end, encompasses masterful storytelling, powerful imagery, emotional connections, and inspiring insights. Take every aspect of the above praise and add to it the importance of the subjects she addresses and I'll stand aside while you rush to your library or add her work to your personal wishlists and gift requests.

Beaming Books. October 10, 2023 

LULLABY FOR THE KING  is, on first glance, a glorious celebration of the birth of Christ, making it a wonderful choice for the Christmas season. That was my expectation as I opened the cover. (Look at that magnificent cover. More about the illustrator Michelle Carlos later.) That's all it took for me to recognize how much more this new offering provides for readers with any (or no) Christian background.

The glory of this seemingly simple story unfolds on magically colorful double page spreads, each featuring a member of the animal kingdom who've received word of the birth of a king. They spontaneously form a caravan that travels "through wilderness, uphill and down, for hours that spun into days". Each has selected a unique gift to deliver when they eventually arrive.

Page by page, stanza by stanza, Grimes writes in concise free verse  graced with luscious word choices, eloquent gift descriptions, ear-pleasing assonance, and rhythm that reflects the steady pace of a determined caravan of familiar and less-familiar animals of land, water, and air. 

The suspension of any hint of predator-prey relationships provides that inspirational element I referenced above. This is not a simple lion-and-lamb connection, but one of the power of sharing a higher mission and values. Their arrival  does not signal the conclusion, only setting the stage for the deeper aspects of this original tale. The pages that follow their arrival celebrate the role of SOUND, from the nightingale's gift of song, to the notes of instruments given as gifts, to the choir of angels hovering above the manger. The final page turn features the animals assembled at the feet of the holy family, the lullaby text and notes above them, with that translucent choir of angels topping the page. The simple verse and melody convince me that this will become a favorite new Christmas carol for many.

Attempting to illustrate such a magnificent manuscript must have been intimidating, but artist Michelle Carlos created images and scenes that matched and even elevated the power of this story, page after page. Using a mesmerizing balance of realistic detail and srurreal colorations, each scene reinforces Grimes's imaginative descriptions of gifts and creatures as well as the mood of reverence and anticipated celebration that drives this caravan forward. The endpapers are the exception to the interior vibrant eruption of color. Instead the opening end papers, nearly identical to the final papers, are rendered in subtle desert shades and tones, nearly monochromatic,  that allow the entire caravan to proceed through dessert sand valleys and dunes. Their black silhouettes and shadows emphasize the variety and distinct differences among them. The opening papers include their later-described gifts in each figure, while the closing papers show the animals proceeding without those elements. The opening sky in this scene glows with an infusion of fuchsia-tones, while the sky in the closing papers is a swirl of new-day blue. 

Now, about my prior claim of the universal appeal and theme of this book, despite its clearly Christian/Christmas story. I hope that my praise in the above notes makes it clear that excellence of this level is not subject to boundaries or discrete identities. The glory of the language itself and the beauty of the illustrations make it a treasure in any hands. More deeply, the sense of higher purpose, peaceful cooperation, and the value of individuality and potentiality provide inspiration to anyone, any age. Another universal concept is the way in which beauty (both visual and musical) invites us to savor and explore, again and again. This will certainly be true, regardless of backgrounds, with readers across ages and holiday seasons making fascinating new discoveries on each page and in each image with each return. A great example is the happy discovery of this elegant design for the hard case under the paper cover:

Hard Case Cover ("undie award conciliate!)

The release for this is October 10, 2023, but it can be ordered in advance from then publisher, HERE, from indie bookstores HERE, or at online sales sources. I have no doubt that the initial printing could sell out before the holidays arrive, so make sure you get your own copy and copies for gifts as soon as possible.

Holiday Wishes To All

 This post marks a pause until the the New Year. I'll be spending time with family in happy gatherings and for one memorial that will be more poignant and reflective. That contrast in emotions is not unusual at holiday times. Sadness and struggle frequently intertwine themselves with special occasions, offering options to wallow or lean into those two sides of our very human lives. Last year at this time my own life was bound up with personal issues that threatened to overwhelm my physical and emotional health, but there were still so many moments of positivity- in family, friends, traditions, and unexpected joys.

One such experience was reading and reviewing a book inspired by actual events in one small community. RED AND GREEN AND YELLOW AND BLUE, from the talents of Lee Wind and Paul O. Zelinsky. I reviewed it HERE. 

Everything I love in picture books made me a fan of this offering, but it also touched me at a deeply personal level. This seems to be a story about Hanukkah, and I am not Jewish. Yet it is so much more and was exactly what I needed to read at the time. Like the very best of picture books (any books?) it offers a network of emotional and conceptual connections to individual lives,  struggles, and insights. From a societal perspective, It is as timely now (or more so) as it was last  year.

I urge everyone to take a few minutes with this book,and  with other favorites. Share stories that celebrate finding light out of darkness, as Hanukkah and Christmas both do. Beyond the specifics of either classic story, the central theme of both is that life presents us with dark times, with threats, with struggles, or even chronic worries. These mid-winter, long-dark-days celebration dates are no accident. This is the season of hunkering down, right? But both traditions focus on the message of promise, of better times, of strength in our collective appreciation of light and hope. They celebrate gathering to support that light nana hope- beyond our nuclear families, within a broader community, and reaching out to humanity as a whole.

My year has resolved in many positive ways, leaving me in much better place this season. I celebrate the ways small glimmers of light led me forward from a year ago into today. I wish for all of you the blessings of good (or improving) health, of caring friends and family, of opportunities to gather together to celebrate those blessings. May you find your lights and share them with everyone you meet.

RED and GREEN and BLUE and WHITE: Color a Community

It's the first of December and I'm taking a side step from nonfiction reviews to feature a picture book INSPIRED BY actual events and people, but lightly and lovingly fictionalized. That approach adds to the timelessness of its message. In fact, I recall news coverage of the actual events, and was surprised to realize that they occurred so far in the past-- 1993, nearly thirty years ago. It feels much more recent to me, perhaps because of current social patterns, including the rise of anti-semitism. But this happened pre-9/11, pre-social media, pre-viral-trolling, and long before an infinite number of screens and links and countless channels invited silo-thinking and hate mongering. Even so, the event and subsequent reactions really happened, and were widely reported in national news. 

I'll back up to explain what "THIS EVENT" actually is.

RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE is written by Lee Wind and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. The cover introduces some essential aspects of the story. Viewed through a shattered window, the glorious and colorful Christmas lights are subdued, but the clear, real portion of the image encircles the families of two friends, neighbors, who gather in shock, but also in support. Careful observers will note that a menorah is lovingly held by a child. 

In Wind's retelling of actual events, Isaac is the son in the only Jewish family on his block, or much of anywhere in his little city. They live across the street from Teresa's family, and the two children are best friends. Isaac writes poetry, Teresa creates stunning art, and together they help their families decorate windows for the winter holidays. 

RED AND GREEN and Christmas trees appear in nearly every window, surrounded by strings of lights and flurries of snow. Isaac and his family trim their window with a decorative menorah and lights of BLUE AND WHITE. 

Until... the dark of night offers cover for a vicious act of hate-- a rock shatters Isaac's window, terrifying him and his family. A window can be repaired, and quickly is. But peace and security are far more difficult to restore. Should they NOT relight their decorations? NOT return their menorah display to the window? Isaac is aware that such a choice would be hiding from their Jewish identity. 

The next night, the menorah is lit. Teresa, watching from her window across the street, sees and smiles. What she does next lights up Isaac's spirit, too, and his song rings out in the night:

"BLUE AND WHITE, MENORAH LIGHT, FROM TWO HOMES TONIGHT!"

Word spreads to their school, library, block, and spirals in ever-widening waves throughout their small city. In window after window, menorahs are added to the lighted displays, until the entire community glows with RED AND GREEN AND BLUE AND WHITE. Watch the trailer HERE.

A short note from the author indicates that Isaac and Teresa were the actual childhood friends, and that only a few minor details were changed for the sake of storytelling. Wind points out that the satisfying conclusion is fully authentic, and was the result of individuals who chose not to be BYSTANDERS. Instead, one by one, near and far, they chose to act, publicly, indicating their community support. They chose to be UPSTANDERS, knowing that silence or inaction would lend passive but powerful support to the hate-filled vandals. 

I'm an unabashed fan of all illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky, whose art is distinguished by excellence, though not by a single or characteristic style across his many books. Instead, the quality that shines through every project is how perfectly he pairs his approach to the heart and spirit of each particular story. In this case, with the lights of the season, of the holidays (Hanukkah celebrates the MIRACLE OF THE LIGHTS), and of friends and neighbors, the art achieves a distinctive look of winter nights with twinkling bulbs. The end papers extend that celebration symbolically, with bands of the four colors and interwoven swirls. These are embraced, literally, by a border formed by diverse people, arm in arm, facing the reader as a community with the confidence of mutual respect, tolerance, and love. UPSTANDERS all. Click HERE to learn more about ideas for teaching this approach to UPSTANDING  with young people.

This new book takes its inspiration from a positive community and amplifies it, shining it into our lives and into the future. It's the season for faith, and I choose to believe that the good in each of us can turn the darkness that seems to permeate society into light. One choice at a time. One light at a time. One book at a time. 

Start with this one.

Christmases to Remember, and Inspire

 Posting this 2020 Covid-anchored note is, by now, hardly necessary. Although those protected by vaccinations are numbering in the millions, globally, we are cautioned to stay the course in safety practices. The prospect of "normal" is still many months beyond the calendar flip to 2021. With that in mind, I'm offering some look-backs to previous Christmas posts, reminding myself that memories of the past are powerful anchors. And if you continue to the end of the post, there are some recent picture books with holiday joy to celebrate. 

When it comes to nostalgia, it's hard to beat a Patricia Polacco picture book. In a prior post I featured FOUR of her glorious Christmas stories, each drawn from tender memories and illustrated with her trademark joyful colors and details. Check them out, HERE. 

That post includes links to each of the books, and they are truly timeless and comforting, with characteristic elements of humor, struggle, and satisfying resolve.  

Another throwback post also celebrates the treasure of sharing memories. In the case of A NEW COAT FOR ANNA, both the author and illustrator reflect personal insights to World War II survival. We may be feeling the stress of a year that seems endlessly miserable, but war years stretched on for half a decade, followed by years of recovery.  Severe hardships held little hope of relief. This story is a matter of making the best of a talent and  love and hard work. It has a bit of the quality of the short story, GIFT OF THE MAGI, by O. Henry.

Sometimes those who have the least are willing to sacrifice the most to find heartfelt ways to fill the wishes of loved ones. I hope you've witnessed as many examples of that in this past year as I have, and have been inspired by the generosity of others.

Now for a more recent recommendation, one  from 2019. I think of that as coming from the "before times", and it is bringing loads of joy from those times right along with it.

MEERKAT Christmas is created by Emily Gravett. Those who know me well will be grinning at this title and image, since they know I was a meerkat fanatic long before the general public became aware of these durable, social creatures. I was a fan back when anyone hearing me speak of them would ask, "What kind of cats are they?"

So, rather than praise this book personally, I'll share a post by another blogger, HERE. That way you'll know that the recommendation  is not coming from a place of bias. Anyone who knows even a bit about meerkats will find it no surprise that the book is LOADED with surprises, including clever flaps and smile-generating twists and turns. The review also links to several other recent Christmas picture books. 

So, whether you are reading this on Christmas Day or on some future day/year, I urge you to check out all of the above titles. And as you celebrate Christmas or any other winter holiday as 2020 winds down, hold on to hope and humor, generosity and memories. No matter how challenging life can be, each of these may remind you just how resilient WE can be as we move into a better future in 2021, and beyond. 

And keep your eyes peeled for humor and grace and joy.

The True Value of Gifts

With the holiday celebrations comes gift-giving. In the last post I urged giving books, and I still do.

Now I'm feeling compelled to discuss the gifting process itself. In this affluent country (and many others), there exists a wide range of  economic levels. Many in the "have not" category rely entirely on the kindness of strangers to have a decent meal or a meager gift under the tree. That reality offers a learning opportunity for kids, especially those who take their holiday gifts as a given, literally and figuratively.

Beyond our own marginalized neighbors, though, there are children in refugee camps and war zones who face a daily struggle for survival with barely subsistence resources. Holidays in such settings are marked, if at all, in spirit rather than in practice.

Dragonfly Books, paperback, 1988
Alfred A. Knopf, 1986

An ideal book to share such an experience is A NEW COAT FOR ANNA, written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Anita Lobel. I've loved this book, based on a true story of post-WWII survivors, since it was first published. As Christmas approaches I've thought about it often because it reminds me of the circumstances facing characters in my forthcoming middle grade historical fiction release set in Norway during the German occupation. Bartering and making-do were necessary for survival, but reserving assets for even harder times to come also played a role.
In this picture book Anna and her mother have survived the war years intact physically, but with few worldly goods or resources. Anita Lobel's opening spreads reveal Anna in her little blue coat, then one page turn shows her several years later, wearing the same now-too-small and badly tattered coat amid the refugees and relics of her city. The story reveals, in words and images, that Anna and her mother arrived at the end of war considerably more intact than many others, yet unable to get needed supplies, including food. It's her mother's goal to return a degree of normalcy to Anna's life in the form of a new red coat that fits.

Anna's mother is a clever woman. Now that war is over she decides to use her few reserved valuables to get Anna that coat. Her bargains and promises extend throughout a full year and the entire community: a watch traded for wool (with months of waiting for the wool to grow and be sheared), a lamp traded for spinning (to be done in warmer weather), the yarn dyed with berries (harvested later in summer), a necklace traded for weaving wool cloth, then a teapot traded to the tailor.

This community outreach effort spans a year and provides an excuse to invite all involved to a Christmas gathering that features generous servings of  gratitude and Christmas cake. All agree it is the best Christmas in memory. Anna even visits the sheep to thank them for their contributions. The story is permeated with patience, participation, and appreciation of craft and contributions without even a whiff of sentimentality. 

Other review quotes include:

"Thought-provoking and informative" (Booklist, starred review)

"...will be understood and cherished by all ages" (School Library Journal)

"…hardship gives life to hope" (The Los Angeles Times)

"Lobel's illustrations-- rich, warm, and bright as the new coat itself-- bring the story to life." (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Puffin Paperbacks, 2008

Another holiday story featuring war survivors is Patricia Polacco's CHRISTMAS TAPESTRY. In this case the story is a continent away from Europe and a generation or more later, but it, too, deals with the ravages and losses of war, the meager items salvaged by refugees, and the nature of giving and gratitude. 

Whatever stories are shared at this time of year, in picture books or from personal experience, my hope is that they will convey a sense of recognition of those who make the items, those who bring them to us, and the spirit in which gifts are given and appreciated. 

New Titles, Old Souls

 Are you feeling the need to provide every bit of bling and bauble on someone's wish list? Before you use these final shopping days to run out and buy more, read MORE, by I. C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies, a book that extends far beyond the usual "less is more" mantra. I wrote about this title in a previous post, and now it's making the rounds on various Caldecott buzz lists. Check the comments on the post and you'll see I predicted that, which wasn't hard to do.

An even more recent release is SKY HIGH, by Germano Zullo, illustrated by Albertine, originally published in Switzerland. It's narrow, vertical format is perfectly suited to the ambitions of wealthy neighbors whose competitive and conspicuous consumption results in self-destruction and isolation, not happiness. (Zullo/Albertine's LITTLE BIRD is also making some Caldecott buzz lists.)

My recent post featured holiday titles by Patricia Polacco. She is undeniably an  icon among author/illustrators and has many fans.

Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin) 2012

Tomie DePaola surpasses the level of icon. He's a living legend, acclaimed for more than two hundred titles, the winner of countless awards. Among the prestigious winners of the Sarah Josepha Hale Award, he was the first to be known primarily for children's book writing. His stories offer something for everyone, every age, and wear well over time.

It's no surprise that his work never disappoints, and it takes no psychic power to predict that this latest will stand the test of time. In this seasonal release, THE BIRDS OF BETHLEHEM, he offers a unique view of the familiar and often retold story of the nativity. Page by page, in spare but poetic art and text, pairs of birds gleaning seeds in the field share their observations of noteworthy events: a long line of people traveling, a full inn, a couple resting in the stable, angels in the night sky.
They follow the shepherds, to learn more.
What they see there, watching from the stable rafters, is the greatest miracle of all: a mother, her husband, and their newborn child.
They witnessed the miracle of birth, of life, of family.

These pairs of birds recognized the greatest gifts when they saw them. We can, too.

And we can let our children know, daily, that even the birds in the trees celebrate their lives, that they are loved, that their lives matter.

Who needs to shop, unless it is for books like these?

Houghton MIfflin Books for Children, 2012

Chronicle Books, 2012

Who's Afraid of Christmas?

If you had to think twice before answering that question, you haven't met SCAREDY SQUIRREL, by Melanie Watt. If you find yourself in that unfortunate circumstance, please move this titile to the top of your holiday wish list.

I've been able to make some progress on my holiday to-do list-- so far. Even though gift buying, decorating, and cookie baking have proceeded without major mishaps, I feel some familiar seasonal anxiety developing as the clock ticks and calendar pages turn.

Just in the nick of time, as he always is, Scaredy comes along with a new book to warn me and help me prepare for potential Christmas mishaps.

Kids Can Press, 2012

SCAREDY SQUIRREL PREPARES FOR CHRISTMAS: A Safety Guide for Scaredies is the definitive book for anyone who tends toward nervousness at holiday time. Scaredy carries out his precautionary directives in third person voice (I wonder if that is a germ-prevention measure?) and leaves no holly leaf unturned in his relentless pursuit of safety.

Before proceeding to the eight detailed and ditzy chapters, the reader confronts pages in which Scaredy introduces himself, warns about keeping the book away from germs and volcanoes, forbids its use by monsters, lobsters, vampire bats, or killer bees, offers an anxiety test, and even creates a surprisingly upbeat holiday horoscope.

This is a book that can and should be reread often, if only to assure that none of the minute details, throw-away lines, and subscripts are overlooked. Multiple readings are not a chore because Scaredy offers something for every demographic, a testament to the range and scope of his phobias and Watt's clever writing and illustration.

He wins me over with his proactive approach to fear, finding ways to explore a world that is as intriguing as it is scary. His no-nonsense advice is presented using informational text formats, making this a must-have title for anyone pursuing Common Core standards.

There's no end to Scaredy's helpful tips so be sure to check out his guides on other topics of concern:
Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach, Scaredy Squirrel at Night, and Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party.

In this special holiday book, his final "Scaredy Tip" offers perfect advice:
"Why not mix panic with pleasure?"
In his case, when playing dead in the snow a little creativity and a few slow but graceful moves stretched out over two hours will produce a lovely snow angel!

My final advice for a perfect holiday season?
If you find yourself running out of time to complete that to-do list, drop everything and read a picture book!
Care to share the status of your seasonal to-do list, or some titles?