All the Ice Cream In the WORLD: A Parable

 I'm a fan of ice cream, so this picture book had me at the title: 

ALL THE ICE CREAM IN THE WORLD, written and illustrated by Masoud Gharebaghi.

CLAVIS BOOKS, 2024

After all, it's SUMMER, and it's HOT, and it's ICE CREAM!

The cover illustration confirmed my assumption that this would be a romp through the glorious possibilities of ICE CREAM. Perhaps with a sampling of world-cultural takes on it, or ways ice cream makes its way to our mouths (that's what the cover suggested to me), or even a story about some ice-cream-crazed kiddo who could never get enough to satisfy. Even the end papers echoed this brilliant array of ice cream options, revealing the creator's background in design.

While the title of this post suited the story between the covers, I was wrong about the plot. I found absolutely no sense of greediness or self-indulgence. In fact, this story is a parable about the innocence and empathy of children.

The story line is simple, but beautifully and heart-tuggingly rendered in soft-edged, stylized art that makes the story universally recognizable and lifts it from the specific to the human level. That's especially appropriate because it is a story of global crisis and the need for a global effort to resolve it. All the effort in the world.

The very individual and specific problem sets a baby polar bear at risk when its snowy den becomes an ice floe set adrift by global warming. Currents take the bear into an overwhelmingly large city, one oblivious to his presence (the first metaphor). Adults hurry past wearing earphones, staring at screens, or blankly tunnel-visioned on their seemingly important missions. enormous structures suggest massive consumption of energy and time and attention. the central double spread reveals the collaborative nature of problem solving and presents a wide diversity of young faces, all focused forward, directly to the reader. From that point forward the images of countless kids loses its individuality and shows the power of numbers and unified effort.

It took a few moments of examining the art before I felt its affinity to Dan Santat's THE ADVENTURES OF BEEKLE, the little imaginary friend who roams unseen throughout many pages of its journey. Until...

LIttle, Brown Books
 for Young Readers
2014

In that gentle but deep story only a dog notices the seeking and longing of another creature in need.

In this story, one child with ice cream sees the small bear, senses need, and shares her sweet cold relief. The resolution is both satisfying and alarming. With a call to all the children in then world to bring their ice creams, they provide an icy island to send back to sea, returning the baby bear to its mother. 

That happy ending is deeply poignant, with not-at-all-subtle final lines:

"The small humans gave up something they loved to help me.

Maybe one day, everyone will do the same to save our home."

Under the dedication that opens the book there is an even more direct message from the author about this crisis. The story does what the best parables do. It entertains, elecits smiles, has a sympathetic character in need and a surprisingly clever and courageous hero. The art is both charming and powerful, the colors and canvas textures draw the eye for closer looks. And the concept of an icy floating mass of ice cream provides a cool, chill, delicious image. But the undertow of adults (or humankind, more generally) unable to even notice need due to preoccupation with their own driven natures strikes very close to home. 

It's not long past the time of graduation speeches and adults advocating for young people to take leadership in a challenged world. Fair enough. Every "next generation" has been charged with "doing better" or fixing the world. But the current state of conditions, the self-centered destruction that generated disastrous threats to the survival of the future generations, have wreaked havoc on the planet and make those requests immeasurably unfair. I have great faith in YOUTH, in their care and creativity and commitment to doing better. But I wish and hope that those of us who are older would shake loose of our preoccupations and contribute to solutions now, and forever forward. To put our shoulders into helping turn this ship around.

On a side note, I reflected on my own greedy reaction to the title before reading this book. It turns out there are many books about ice cream and its allure, and I refuse to think that having some fun and funny reactions to the prospect of mountains of ice cream is "wrong". Even so, I was grateful for this lovely reminder that such pleasures, in stories or in scoops on cones, should  close my eyes to "big picture" stories such as ALL THE ICE CREAM IN THE WORLD. If this subtle misdirection gets others to open and read, I'm happy to know it. And I hope you'll "save room" for this one among your lighter and more distracting choices. 

Apologies Analyzed, and more: I'M SORRY YOU GOT MAD

 Oh, how I wish I had this new picture book while I was in the classroom daily. For preschoolers, for elementary kids, for middle grade and high school kids.For preservice teachers. 

Well, for everyone. 

Little ones need to learn to regulate their emotions and take accountability for their actions and consequences. They need to empathize with the feelings of others, especially when their own actions caused them. And adults (not just teachers) need to learn how to help that growth in the process take place. One version or another of  meaningless apologies seem to be everywhere these days, from a mindless "sorry" in passing to a publicly issued version of the title. A sort of "sorry you're a snowfake" statement.

DIAL BOOKS FOR YOUN G READERS, 
2024

I'M SORRY YOU GOT MAD is written by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Julie Kwon. (click on each creator for some interesting background, but especially to note the delicate handling of facial expressions in sample of art by Kwon.)

The gist of this book is what I assumed before reading. Namely, that someone had been unfair or unkind and then was not good at accepting responsibility for their actions. The cover offers that premise well, including that such a person being asked to write an apology will likely make them even angrier and in a deeper state of denial. Art on the back of the book jacket shows that the infraction was not a major one or irreparable and could have been resolved rather easily. 

So far, so good, and so anticipated. 

What unfolds in the first several spreads and page turns is a nearly wordless account of Jack's successive attempts, retries, and the growing fury he feels as well a the growing awareness of him among others in class. The few words used on successive attempts are scrawled on crumpled note paper  (SORRY... SORRY ZOE -JACK.... DEAR ZOE, I'M SORRY YOU GOT MAD   JACK...) with that last note adding writing in a different hand: Dear Jack, Please try again. Love, Ms. Rice)

That format and book design continues throughout, allowing readers (young or old) to read and understand a model of the ways in which intervention, allowance for time, persistence, and gradual growth to acceptance of responsibility can achieve long term change. 

Jack goes through stages of composition that are first intended to deny everything, to satisfy the teacher, and to put this behind him. If left without further expectation, the experience would confirm his view of himself in relation to others. By reprocessing the request for a real apology, readers can view the visual account of a normal progression of a day in class with Jack's intense drama in the background. It does not separate him from the group, but allows him to see the event in perspective with the full day and the magnitude (or lack of it) of his actions. His letters become more sincere, including empathy for Zoe's sadness, while still dodging accountability.

Eventually, Jack's letter incorporates what we see to be Ms. Rice's support: Three things an apology must include. 

What I did.

That I'm sorry.

And I'll help you to fix it.

This takes into account the adult's recognition of and respect for Jack's improved effort at writing something meaningful, then structuring an acceptable response for his success. His letter does what was asked.

That, my fiends, would be what I expected and would welcome in this type of book, one that might even be called "didactic", although necessary, and handled in a realistic way. But, there's more.

If it ended there, we'd assume that Zoe received the note. But then we see that Jack is furious that she and friends built something and did not include him. He demands an apology although he knocked their new project down again. I won't reveal the closing pages because they are quite clever, realistic, and worth reading for yourself.

While this is, in fact, a picture book  focused on writing or providing a good apology, one that means something, it is also an exploration of what and how we learn, of how we grow and use what we've learned, of the "big feelings" that can lead us to acts that we then want to deny and do not regret. Actions that hurt others and yet we feel justified in choosing to do them. That's often because we can't free ourselves of the shame and/or anger that surround our actions. It is also a manual for pre-service teachers (or those already in classrooms, or for parents with squabbling siblings) to manage such emotions and growth in a way that allows time and space for change.

I was certain I'd want to read this to consider if it should be included in my reflections in this blog. I can't begin to post about every picture book I read. This "second level" of story tipped the scale in favor of featuring it and sharing my reactions. This basic story AND second level serve as a constructive model in familiar circumstances but also move into the realm of the WHY of hurting others, the HOW of fixing, and the WAYS to become able to manage our own feelings and respect those of others. It modeled self-regulation not only in children but in adults. It moved from demanding apologies (and acceptance of those) to genuine personal development. 

And it moved my reaction from a strong recommendation to a rave. Please check it out.

 

THE SWEATER: A Story of Community

Some of the books i feature here are astonishing in their depth or scope, in the magnificence (I'm not exaggerating) of their text or illustrations. Many titles in many ways reveal less that is "new" but much that is conveyed in moving and original ways. 

VIKING PRESS, 2026

Then there are some picture books that simply strike chords of familiar, important, heart-touching elements in ways that deserve attention. Books that will become huggable favorites. Books that will be saved to read again and again, and then on into adulthood to a next generation. The SWEATER: A Story of Community strikes me as that kind of book. Written by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Teagan White, there is actually very little that seems extraordinary in this reader-friendly book. 

The author's narrative is direct and simple, but carries the weight of understanding:

"... a little bird stumbled into the thicket. It was plain to see he'd been though some things."

The storytelling allows readers to sense concern, potentially even risk, without feeling undo threat to worry. The little bird's discovery of a vacant hole in a tree could easily be the wrap to his part of the story. But empathy and awareness of the coming winter and the challenges to even healthy lives in the face of Mother Nature  leads the central character, Holly the raccoon, to express concern for the little bird to the others in the woods. Yes, you can guess that decisions are made, domino effects unfold, scraps of offerings are knit into whole resources. That, my friends, is a metaphor for community. The glory of this simple account is in both its familiarity and in the freshness of word and images. 

Click on illustrator White (above) to see that more sophisticated version of any of these illustrations were well within her talents. But from the simple line drawings on end papers to the colorful, warm-toned interiors, each character appears both anthropomorphized and also natural. The challenges faced are concerning without being terrifying, helping readers invest in the safety of all, not just the small bird. Even when it is "hunkering down"  time in the midst of a storm, the text and images offer reassurance of safety while suggesting connection, even while isolated for a time. Some aspect of those spreads reminded me of our lives during covid lock-down. No  matter how separate we were, there was a nearly universal striving to find ways to express our connections to others.

This book will appeal to most (I'd like to say ALL, but not everyone might find it as utterly memorable and treasured as I do). But I hope you'll give it a look to see for yourselves. There is sincerity and charm without being cloying or cutesy. The two-dimensional, stylized critters reside in a detailed space that is also somewhat flat, yet remains natural and somewhat magical. It's that "story time" tone that made me lift the relationships and characters from their specifics to think of them as any and all communities 

I am a fan of any picture book that is able to take what we all know to be an important (and therefore familiar) concept and make it fresh and memorable. I praised the efforts of Marsha Diane Arnold's ONE SMALL THING, HERE. If you missed it originally, I invite you to click and read about it as well. These two "animal character" stories display combined support, representing the power for even small efforts to unite and strengthen every member of the community. They would make remarkable side-by side readings. Those are reflections and discussions I'd welcome as often as possible, especially among young audiences.

LATE TODAY! An Immersive Experience

 If you've been reading here you'll know that I've recently indulged in sharing some stunning picture books about birds, both fiction and nonfiction, as I did in my last post HERE. 

EE5RDMANS 
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2025

I'm overdue to expand my species focus, so CATS are on the agenda. I am allergic to cats, but not in picture books and today CATS take center stage. LATE TODAY, written by Jungyoon Huh and illustrated by Myungae Lee, with translation by Aerin Park is a cat story and so much more.

Not only is this book masterful at capturing a moment in time: a rainy morning in gridlocked traffic on a bridge, an empathetic awareness of a tiny creature in need. It presents a brief storyline (lasting less than an hour in plot) with tension that evokes the lived experiences of delayed commuters and a stray kitten who is  dodging cars, dripping wet, confused, and seemingly helpless. 

The title, LATE TODAY, offers an effective and engaging double-intended descriptor. The heavy traffic will certainly slow things down. The rain isn't helping. When that dripping kitten is seen dodging tires and skirting curbs, traffic slows even more. 

Concise text launches this story before the title page with what seems to be a news report about slowed traffic, followed by a mention, at 8:15 AM, that "We can't be late TODAY!".

The scenes described above open the first several pages of the story, after many in various vehicles who notice and appear to care about the kitten's well-being. 

And yet...

The heart of the book relates to choices. To the many on that bridge and their reasons for looking away, despite claiming to care. To the penetrating rain, with one double spread simply showing RAIN! Ultimately, a decision is made. Horns honk and traffic stalls. The closing bridge scene features the initial font and pattern of a report indicating that traffic is beginning to ease. The perspective of the bridge at opening and closing are similar and yet those minimal words and slight angle shifts allow readers to view the traffic as STALLED in the opening spread but ROLLING AGAIN in that closing spread. Absolutely brilliant! 

The limited text also reveals the priceless value of a topnotch translator, not merely turning words from one language to those of another, but choosing and arranging those selected words in ways that preserve and convey the full potential of this richly layered work. 

This book is a cat book, as promised, but it is so much more. Those opening and closing spreads frame satisfying storytelling with heart.More than that, those multiple center spreads invite readers to slow down, despite the tension of a kitten in trouble. It puts readers in the position of deciding what CARING means. Is it an emotion that confirms to ourselves what good people we are, or does actual caring REQUIRE action? It's not an easy question to answer. How exactly should folks on a bus manage to help that desperate cat? How could any driver even stop in such bumper-to-bumper traffic? The people ask themselves various questions, through visual expressions and other cues, leaving it to readers to decide for themselves what they might do.Then, a page turn, a decision made by one person, one that  stops traffic but sets a solution in motion. 

There is plenty to enjoy about this evocative, heartfelt, challenging story. LATE TODAY reminds us, too, of the pace at which we race through each day. How LATE is late, and how important is that? What differences can we make in our own and others' lives? That seems like a lot for a tiny wet kitten to carry into our minds, but with the help of authors, illustrators, and a translator, it's  a successful effort! 

SEVEN: A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON Whose Story Inspires

 That's right, I'm sharing another bird book. Trust me, I realize there are probably more than enough posts about birds books on this blog (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE...  you see what I mean?) But don't expect me to change. First, birds will always hold a special place in my heart. That must be true for many, since there's no shortage of books of every kind for every age that feature birds in fact, fiction, and with a blend of those approaches. 

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2025

That blend is what propels my thoughts about  SEVEN, A MOST REMARKABLE PIGEON onto yet another post. I read this lovely, heartwarming, and entertaining book by author Sandra Nickel and illustrated by Aimeé Sicuro multiple times. I usually do that, but in this case I pursued even more repeated readings. Because i have a broad knowledge base about birds, I saw countless facts about pigeons within  a story that was clearly fictional. I had a concern that young readers might come away with confusions about what was real and what was made up. The author's note did a fine job of pointing out the factual details, and yet the storytelling was so nearly-magical that I wanted to feel confident that the account was not misleading.

In brief, the story features a singleton hatchling pigeon  in a nest that almost always holds two eggs. Parent pigeons DO tend faithfully to the young, they DO urge flocking and close contact with other pigeons, they DO work with young prior to migration to prepare them for successful travel. This little loner was named SEVEN because pigeons consider seven a lucky name (obviously storytelling) but this tidbit is used as a device to share the fact that SEVEN thousand miles is the longest recorded route a pigeon has return to its home. Seven, the pigeon, has a remarkable sense of smell, particular preferences, and doesn't mind going its own way. 

The story allows SEVEN to rise to the hero role due to environmental circumstances paired with its own warmly-embraced talents, despite outside pressures. The story itself incorporates facts within a delightful and charming account of a character that encourages independence and individuality, that appreciates differences, that celebrates multiple ways to solve problems, and that encourages empathy and acceptance. The illustrations allow readers to enjoy both a fictionalized, semi-personified pigeon while viewing information about pigeons through visual narrative and scenes. 

SEVEN will work well for many ages, with multiple layers about science, group dynamics, individual identity and development, and patterns of the environment and nature. Pigeons are the urban birds that young people are most likely to interact with, and that's because they are versions of domesticated birds that are now considered wild but deeply adjusted to (and sometimes dependent on) human interaction. This book is a way to make pigeon science and their specialized talents more available to young readers. It also invites discussions about individual differences and respect for those differences. That's a lovely combination.

If you'd like to see an example of how that can help or hurt the survival of pigeons, here's an interesting video you might want to watch. It's on YOUTUBE and  begins with a short ad, but it called to mind the power of human support for our natural friends. HERE's the video. I want to be sure that viewers know this should not be attempted on your own, and certainly not by children. It can be a skill developed with support from trained wildlife rescuers. The trust and experience of this individual are impressive and worth learning about, IMO.

A BOOK OF MAPS FOR YOU... Find Your Way To This one!

 Maps intrigue me. Paper maps. Especially the ones bound in an old-school elementary geography book with keys and compasses and colors. Now I rely mostly on digital map/GPS apps to make my way by car and on foot in unfamiliar places. Even so, when I can plan ahead I'll find and print a map of a new area to set a template in my mind about where I'll be and what will surround me.

NEAL PORTER BOOKS,
2025

A BOOK OF MAPS FOR YOU appears to be exactly what its title says. Written by Lourdes Heuer and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III, the cover makes clear that these maps are child-produced, hand-made depictions of the most important elements of a neighborhood. 

Take more than a few minutes of your time to examine that title page. It launches the story behind these maps and the young person who is creating them. A skylight reveals two little ducks who will appear throughout, a rolled rug and dozing cat, with a view over the shoulder of this creator out to the world that is being mapped.

One page turn presents an interesting conceptual view form above, the completed project laid out on the work table with a line of text above it: "I made a book of maps." 

Each turn then presents a similar birds-eye view used by maps with only a few text inserts.The selection of maps shifts throughout the neighborhood, with various featured aspects becoming simple details or taking center stage. Some are maps of interiors of buildings, occasional shifts to face-on perspectives of things like the library and librarian, even an imaginary pirate island. The reader follows a journey through a delightful neighborhood, then through places depicted become progressively more warm and meaningful, until we arrive inside the home. Finally we see a plan for a fully-fitted bedroom where we began (when it was bare). The closing spreads reveal the ultimate purpose of these maps, and their true value. 

In a time when empathy feels fragile, if not entirely missing, here is a character who models a way to put yourself in someone else's shoes.Then they find ways to make the journey of others safer, more welcoming. The story itself is rich and worthy, with very adept writing and word-choices. The illustrations do exactly what the best will do-- they take the conceptual content and contribute to bringing it to life, to expanding its potential, to making readers full partners in the journey. There are many worthy books about moving that focus on the emotional journey of the child who is moving away, or the child who is moving to someplace new. This remarkable book transcends both with pragmatism and purpose.

I hope that this book finds its way into many conversations among kids and adults about what maps really are, what purposes they serve, what memories they might trigger, and what perspectives they lend to the stories of our lives. And how we can map our way to others and their needs. 

HOPE Is a Thing With Wings... and Ears: RABBIT's FEAT

HIPPO PARK (Astra Books) 2025

Spring is the season of change, of hope, of... rabbits! Whether you welcome them or dread their nibbling intrusions in your gardens, rabbits are appealing and hard to resist. A new fiction picture book, RABBIT'S FEAT, created by author/illustrator Barney Saltzberg, is also appealing and utterly irresistible. (That sweet little title pun has a few punny partners within the text, but not enough to annoy the anti-pun-folks among us!)

This new book presents, on the cover, a simple but fantastic premise...Boulder is firmly anchored on a high ledge, not far from prickly Cactus that blooms only occasionally, as is often true for  cactus plants. The two have shared this exact desert space long enough to become "friends", and the text centers on their minimal dialogue. In only a few lines it's clear that boulder genuinely longs to get closer to witness those rare blooms more fully, and cactus dreams that would be possible. This central problem and ensuing discussions are  illustrated with warm, saturated desert-night colors. The text elicits empathy, even for inanimate, immovable objects.

 But wait...

A parallel VISUAL narrative is launched on the first page. Rabbit hears their conversation of friendship and longing, spring after spring, and understands that boulder and cactus are each incapable of moving. On that same opening spread is a butterfly, reappearing throughout each spread. Both the rabbit's awareness and the butterfly's presence symbolize that hope can be nurtured, even in seemingly hopeless situations. 

This essential wordless visual narrative is anything but stationary, revealing rabbit's attempts to move Boulder. Imagine that. Even with burtterfly's help, (imagine that, too) it seems a lost cause. But without evidence of movement, Boulder senses their efforts, imagines that a move just might be possible, that things might change.

Rabbit recruits support, and (spoiler) succeeds. The winners are kindness, team work, and science, and especially readers. 

Illustrations are a masterful blend of collage (using handmade papers) and soft-edged art with crisp rabbit character elements (eyes, nose, whiskers, claws) that enrich an appealing emotional story among the collaborators.

Harking back to my longtime soapbox, that the best of picture books offer value and meaning to readers of any age, this story made me think of so many current situations involving separation, longing, and seemingly hopeless situations. Throughout our country and in our own lives. Just sensing that someone, anyone, recognizes that longing, cares, and wants to help can make the struggle survivable, right? if those who want to help will recruit others, if they collaborate in creative thinking and energy, if even the slightest among them is valued and included, anything is possible.

Whether used intentionally as SEL text in support of dreams, hope, teamwork, empathy, and community, or as a fun intro to the power of levers and other simple machines, or simply to entertain and engage young audiences, RABBIT'S FEAT is a winner.

HOME in a LUNCH BOX: A Universal, Any-Age Story

 I've been giving lots of time and attention to nonfiction picture books lately, so I welcome this pause to celebrate a minimal-text/nearly wordless new book of fiction. It feels "just right" on many levels and I hope you'll agree. HOME IN A LUNCHBOX is the tasteful, heart-tugging work of writer/illustrator Cherry Mo. It was the well-deserved winner of a Caldecott Honor Medal recently, and many other accolades.

This fiction picture book accomplishes what often occurs- that HUMAN TRUTH, the kind of universal realities that all or many of us experience, can reveal itself most clearly through fiction. The author/illustrator reports that this story mirrors many aspects of her own childhood relocation with her loving family, and she has captured every child-like element of such an exciting-terrifying-hopeful-heartbreaking aspect of the major change that launches this story.

PENGUIN WORKSHOP, 2024

 

In this case, a young girl and her parents move from Hong Kong to a small American town, a story in itself that is told with a visual transition on the opening end papers. On the left is a complex and ultra-urban prior home, but a road travels to the right with the image of a truck labeled INTERNATIONAL MOVERS. That  transports readers to a simpler, seemingly suburban neighborhood. It's a seismic journey of thousands of miles captured on endpapers!

Title page illustrations and those that follow (full page illustrations, strips, panels, and double-spread pages) use minimal text: only brief speech bubbles, iconic signs, or words (in two languages) written on the palm of Jun's hand.  Each image is powerful in carrying the plot narrative and the deep emotions throughout Jun's efforts to be friendly, meet people, understand a totally foreign language, and interpret the confused reponses she gets to her efforts. 

It is at lunch time, sitting alone, when Jun is transported back to her loving family and prior life whenever she opens her lunchbox. The comfort of delicious memories, literally and figuratively, gives her the strength to make it home, off the bus, and into her mother's arms that first day. 

Each day after reveals more roadblocks and hurdles, but the bus-riding neighbor girl who wanted to be friendly is effectively shown throughout as noticing, as growing in awareness of Jun not just as someone new, or even an outsider, but as a child like herself, one with something to to say and do. That observant friend eventually plays a pivotal role, as do the contents of the lunchbox. A not too surprising happy ending does not disappoint because the scene shifts and reveals even more cultural specialties shared with new-found friends. A few pages of back matter provide the phonetic spelling for the words on Jun's hands, as well as the names for the foods featured in the lunchbox and during the conclusion. The closing end papers provide a Jun-styled art display of her contrasting homes that are fun to compare to the opening papers in content and style. 

Return for a moment to the premise with which I began: fiction can artfully convey the deepest truths. Leaving home is never easy. Being the "new kid" is challenging, even without language and cultural differences. We all need talismans of comfort, and food often does the trick. When  things get difficult, seek refuge among your safe people, but return again to face those difficulties. And hold on to the child within you- those emotions are some of the purest, truest, most constructive of any you will ever feel. Last, but not finally (since this story of few words offers depths of story levels), when you see someone struggle or in need of a friend, reach out. And then do it again, if the first time goes awry. EMPATHY is not a weakness it is a feature of maturity and humanity, not a glitch.

I can think of no better book to share as widely and often as possible and no better time than now.

BUNNY and TREE- Reflections on HOME

 This year's holiday gatherings have felt especially sweet. My recent move back to my home town (after MANY years away) find me taking part in big and small occasions with family and friends, most I  had rarely seen at this time of year. During the Fall, I enjoyed aa short visit to my longtime home to deal with multiple business matters. When my plane landed, a thought filled me- "I'm HOME!" Not many days later, as my return flight approached landing back in my hometown/new home, another thought overtook me, unsolicited: "You'll be HOME soon." Then, in a conscious, intentional thought, I compared those two reactions and I realized, to my deep joy, that I have TWO homes. Two places where I know my way around, where caring people who have been part of my life for a long time are near, and where I find joy and feel safe. We all require safe shelter and sustenance to survive, and will fail to thrive without relationships of love and trust.But HOME is immeasurably more than that.

Enchanted Lio0n Books, 2023

That's what brought me back to share this very special wordless picture book. BUNNY & TREE is a loving and moving debut endeavor by BALINT ZSAKO, A visual artist/photographer/filmaker, he was born into an artistic family in Budapest, Hungary but now is a resident of Canada.

This is an exceptionally impressive wordless book for many reasons, not the least of which is the quality of the art and the final product. Colorful, full-spread illustrations are expensive to produce for publishers, especially with the large page size, excellent paper, and surprising length of this offering.With a range of tones and colors, from glowing pastels to shadowed subtlety, each sprawling spread incorporates the gentleness or intensity needed to share a glorious field off flowers or a seethingly fierce wolf. The cover image here gives you a sense of the story, as does the title. The length of this book (184 pages) is beyond rare for such a publisher's financial commitment to storytelling and to art. This is a visual storytelling of escape, assistance, need, challenge, travel, hope, and the power of such emotional connections between friends. 

I receive picture books from authors and publishers (but with no promise of a review). I seek out most books I reveiw at my public library collaborative. (Cheers for those fabulous folks and facilities, at my prior home and now here!) I buy books as gifts and often reveiw those, since I curate actual purchases very cautiously. In this case, though, I learned about this July, 2023 release long before it became available, and I preordered. From my first "reading", through countless others since then, I have deferred writing a review because I felt inadequate to praise it. With SIX starred reviews (so far) and being named on "Best of Year" lists, I'll admit to a shift in my thinking. This is one of those phenomenal books that is getting outstanding support and will certainly be named among many medal and honor winners in the coming month. (All well-deserved.) I decided I would lend my small voice and limited blog posts to some other books that were still a step away from such glowing spotlights. Yet, these many months later, I have not shelved this book out of my line of sight. I keep it "at hand", because each time I examine it from front to back, retold its visual stories, I find more to love. New details or insights expand previous readings, and I continue to love it deeply. 

After my experiences reflecting on HOME and what it means, I picked this up again and found an even closer connection.

Throughout each reading, the short version of what happens is an epic journey, a nine-act story with prologue and epilogue. It seems both fanciful and familiar. RABBIT (with different-colored ears to foreshadow attention to color in images and impact) and its mates seek escape from a marauding wolf. Just as death is imminent, TREE reveals itself as having both empathy and unique abilities. Reshaping its trunks, branches, and limbs into the shape of a massive wolf head, TREE forces the predator to retreat. This is all in the the prologue. Each chapter reveals grateful RABBIT and caring TREE moving through helpful roles, balancing each other. All the while they discover places and experiences in a wider world that only bond them further in trust and awareness of the potential each offers. Their journey involves dangers and sacrifices, but this story provides the polar opposite of the Tree's sacrifice in THE GIVING TREE, a picture book both despised and cherished by readers of different opinions. 

I considered sharing an interior spread, or a short passage of my (latest) interpretation of the visual narrative in words, and choose not to do so. Whether you check it out of a library, gift it to someone you love, screen first by reading other reviews, or ask your local independent bookstore to show it to you, please "read" it. Many times, if you can. Over time. The meaning of HOME and FRIEND and COMMUNITY changes throughout each of our lives, as it does within the pages of this book. The magical accomplishment in this wordless marvel is the epilogue indicator that when we share journeys and emotions and understanding with others, nature itself may join the pro9cess in the most surprising ways.

August Dog Days... Time For HOT DOG by Doug Salati

 Late July and early August has always been seen as the hottest of weather (in the northern hemisphere), tagged as "Dog Days". (Click to learn more about the history of this phrase and the patterns of summer in Almanac.com.) I spent several of those "dog days" viewing the annual (now virtual) SCBWI summer conference. A featured creator was Doug Salati, the author/illustrator for HOT DOG, winner of the latest Caldecott Gold Medal and the EZRA JACK KEATS gold, both for picture books of extraordinary visual narratives.

Albert A Knopf, 2022

In a conference keynote, Salati described his creative process for HOT DOG. Those who might assume that making a picture book is a simple process should have heard his account. Click his name above to see the many books he has successfully created/illustrated and you'll note that he features both artistic talent and undeniable skill at visual storytelling. Even his covers indicate reveal what lies under the covers and also the celebratory nature of his colors and lines. You might have assumed that this was a smooth creation story. 

It was not.

His persistent efforts to bring this little dog's beach romp to readers required many revisions, major and minor. Ultimately, the little canine becomes an unforgettable character. Opening endpapers feature  line sketches in the many poses a dog adopts to begin its day, while final endpapers sketch those just-before-well-earned-sleep poses at the end of its long, hot,  joyous day.

As you might imagine, an apartment-dwelling city dog would welcome a leash walk to help its busy person while doing chores on hot urban streets. Minimal but superb text:

"concrete 

crumbles

sirens 

screech"

and wonderfully intense vertical panels of "street scenes" positioned as Triptych or Diptych images draw readers right onto those streets. Waiting is hard, surfaces are scorch-y, and this hot dog is overwhelmed by a steaming, screaming city that is"

 "too close! 

too loud! 

too much!"

HOT DOG, 2022. Interior spread

Some who are reading this will recall exactly those same reactions. Certainly small children will! The transition from being a tag-along companion for adult business shifts early in the book when dog puts its foot down (actually, belly down) in the middle of a crosswalk. Nonverbal communication is superb. Only then does the woman at the other end of the leash gain her new perspective. The remainder of the book reveals a spontaneous taxi ride and train/subway journey to arrive at space, sand, water... relief! 

The jubilant dog romps and revels, then locates and shares countless bits of this landscape with the woman, who savors the relief of sea breeze and boisterous joy by treasuring those tokens, presented with such wagging love.

I hope this summary, in more words than Salati used in the entire book, will entice you to take a look for yourselves. Have no fear that I've spoiled the plot, since that slim text and those rich illustrations hold many surprises, including a very satisfying and heartwarming ending. And yes, even on the hottest city streets, a story like this will chill your mood from the initial intensity so that warming your heart is a welcome reaction. 

Jagged nerves, weariness, and furry-bodied exhaustion find their ideal antidotes in the pages of this book. I am convinced you will, too. With such stellar awards to its credit, you can be sure I'm not alone in singing its praises. I hope you will join the chorus.

While HOT DOG may sound like the ideal summer review, I'm months overdue at sharing it here. Please don't delay even a bit in getting your hands on it and sharing it widely, sooner rather than later.

WOKE: Why So Afraid?

Roaring Book Press, 2020

This fifty-six page collection of poems for ages 8-12 is brilliant, age-appropriate, and essential. The current effort in Florida and elsewhere restricts any or most instruction about racism, social justice, systemic discrimination, and other topics that may occasionally be uncomfortable but are dozens of decades past due. 

My question, and yours, should be: 

What about (and WHY?) are these topics, even as poems, so terrifying to so many folks?

 WOKE: A YOUNG POET'S CALL TO JUSTICE is written by Mahogany L. Brown with contributions by two other outstanding poets, Olivia Gatwood and Elizabeth Acevedo. With an introduction by the direct and determined Jason Reynolds, the poetry and topical power of this slim collection is honest and revealing, expanding the thinking of readers of any background. Everything about it is kid-friendly, so I challenge potential objectors (all adults) to RISK reading it, cover to cover, and comment below or in other public venues, sharing specifics about what it is, exactly, that would "harm" a child? What are you so afraid of, exactly?

Please, do NOT rely on my note below or these reviews that follow, but consider that they come from those of us who read extensively and work with young readers regularly, who know what kids enjoy, wonder about, and respond to with thoughtful connections. We are also sadly familiar with content that can be harmful, and this is not that!

For example: 

"An important book that demands to be seen. It adds to the conversation of #OwnVoices and speaks to a young person’s need for expression and social justice." - School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Worth adding to any youth poetry collection, Woke will call out to and empower its readers with a reminder that 'our voice is our greatest power.'" - Booklist

From my own reading: 

"READ. THIS.

Then share it, engage with individual poems and consider the ways in which they interact and reflect on each other. 

The illustrations and book size/format are a celebration of the contents and concepts for young readers and thinkers.

Reflect. Rinse. Repeat.

READ. THIS."

I wrote that opinion and call to action before reading this starred review from KIRKUS:

"Read it; gift it; use it to challenge, protect, and grow." 

THE LONGEST LETSGOBOY: A Picture Book You Must Not Miss

 Personal note: Dog books/stories enter my life with a head start, along with a bit of a handicap. I adore meeting dogs on the page, with or without pictures, and yet I open any dog book and turn pages with caution, knowing how easily their stories can break our hearts. Even so, the characters are often memorable, the stories reflect our lives, and the eventual endings often resonate with truths of deep significance. (See a few prior posts, HERE, HERE, and HERE, among many others). I had no qualms about reading and writing about this book, and I'm happy that I did.

Chronicle Books, 2021

My heart was drawn to THE LONGEST LETSGOBOY before even seeing the cover. That title told me instantly that the language would be dog-centered, allowing this first-person-narrator-dog to express himself with unleashed doggy-perspective and language of his lived experiences. Written by Derick Wilder and illustrated by Catia Chien, this achieves the highest levels of narrative and visual storytelling. As the cover suggests, this is a joyful, delightful book, but have a few tissues handy when you read or share it. 

This recent picture book release is a masterpiece, in my opinion, in both visual and narrative storytelling. I delayed writing about this one for more than a week, rereading it countless times. My  dilemma in beginning these notes came from pondering where to begin. I settled on summarizing the story, then tossed a coin to decide whether the author or illustrator would be first in line for the praise that would follow. 

From the opening endpapers to the final ones, an older dog's life and thoughts are revealed, including his exuberant embrace of life- from waking, to greeting his beloved "Little" (his foreverfriend), to walks through the "diggiedirt" into the "tallsticks", to the "gurgleburble", with a satisfying rest at the "smoothstump". Midway through the book our narrator reveals a gentle, happy, and glorious passage to another life, missing his Little and her pack of "twopaws", but thrilled to run and romp with vigor when he realizes that his "oldbones" feel new. Several page turns reveal passing seasons, holding Little in his caring gaze, then thrilling to the conclusion that I will not spoil. This resolution is so satisfying and joyous that I tear up as I type this, offering readers reassurance that it provides in every way both comfort and continuity in the cycles of life. 

Since the above provides samples of the remarkable voice, perspectives, and language of the narrator, "gooddog", its appropriate that author Wilder won the toss, so my praise will continue with his text. l've heard and read countless examples of smile-making word creations by preschoolers, and I've created a few words while playing with my own dogs over the years. I suspect most dog people have done so. I never doubted that my dogs incorporated my normal language as well as these dog-specific word, some with more ease than others. I was always certain that their responses to language revealed remarkable intelligence and understanding. 

Wilder appears to have been deeply connected to such dogs and to their concrete-descriptive-constructions. He speaks/writes in "dog-lish" superbly, with each use producing smiles and nods from this reader. They are laced through the text with a "just-right" frequency and fluency, never disrupting the narrative but rather enriching it with the sensory, innovative, heartfelt voice of the narrator. Readers/listeners of any age will translate automatically and engage with familiar experiences, but more deeply and fully through this voice. Reader immersion in "gooddog"s transitions and perspectives elevate a gentle and sensitive story by providing deep identifying and empathizing with these tender life experiences.

Illustrator Chien deserves equal praise for providing an immersive experience that fully captures the spirit and sensitive flow of this story. The colors, tones, crayon-like edges/fills, and matte finishes stretch across each spread with scenes and images that swirl with specificity and impressionistic style. Each spread sweeps across our view but also invites close examination. The expansive spreads interpret the text perfectly, plumbing the emotional and physical passages while anchoring the story in  the poignant and loving perspectives of "gooddog". 

Some folks caution picture book writers to not stretch such short text across long spans of time, unless intentionally addressing seasons, historic time frames, or are otherwise required to do so. In this case, the text implies a long expanse of time, but Chien serves that quality efficiently and masterfully with visual techniques. The opening endpapers incorporate spot sketches of "gooddog" and Little across years from infant to toddler to early childhood. The closing endpapers mirror that process with a flip I won't reveal. The use of a dayglo orange collar from that initial introduction provides a thread throughout every turn that, consciously or subliminally, carries reassurance and the delight of endless love from cover to cover. 

If my description in any way sounds melancholy or miserable, I have done the text and images an enormous disservice. There are other outstanding picture books dealing with dogs and their Littles and life cycles. I adore, have written about,  and recommend many of those, often. Even so, this exceptional blend of life-laughter-lingering-love, this unforgettable character with an instantly recognizable yet wholly original voice, these vibrant and soothing spreads combine to produce a picture book like no other. 

At the time I post this, THE LONGEST LETSGOBOY has received four starred reviews. With book awards season looming, I have no doubt that it will be seriously considered for and will win more accolades. Now that I've written a review/post about this book, I'll return my library copy. I've already purchased a copy to keep and one to gift, with more likely to pass through my hands to others. I hope the same will be true for you, too.

Too Much Rain? Noah Buillds an Ark

Candlewick Press 2019

Our recent astonishing spring rains, nearly Biblical in duration and volume, merit serious treatment. Flooding is generally disastrous. 
Even so, a picture book can bring a degree of comfort, or at least diversion. With hurricane season building fast, here's a story to warm your heart and offer a sunny respite from the worst of storms.
NOAH BUILDS AN ARK is written by Kate Banks and illustrated by John Rocco. In this layered story the young boy Noah is a devoted naturalist who appreciates the various wildlife in his urban backyard. Banks writes a direct but appealing narrative, interspersed with lyrical word choice, strong verbs, and delightful figurative language:

"It started with a cloud peeping over the hill like a curious ghost."

"The sun snapped off its light. A curtain of darkness drew across the sky."

"The rain splashed down like silver swords thrown from heaven."

The text provides parallels between Noah and his parents: using tools, stocking up food, preparing for the worst. Once the storm sets in, Noah's indoor story reveals both the worry and the comfort of a family surviving a multi-day storm, depicted in charming spot illustrations.  That clears the stage for expansive illustrations to reveal the parallels of outdoor survivors to indoor residents. The story is realistic and practical in many regards, although some kids will raise questions about the likelihood of these particular animals sharing close quarters for several days: Won't the toads each the insects? 

These observations and questions open doors to discussions of intentionally stretching realism, extending and comparing readings and research in other genre, and determining themes for picture books. 

Rocco's illustrations are luminous and nuanced, precise enough to verge on photographic, at times. The yard-dwelling creatures are not anthropomorphized, although alert and attentive. Young Noah and his family convey expressive features to suit the changing conditions throughout the story. Explorations of empathy and trust will spontaneously arise from these rich images and the engaging story.

The central character, Noah, wasn't the only thing that reminded me of a classic picture book.

THE SALMANDER ROOM is written by Anne Mazer and illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. This book resembles NOAH BUILDS AN ARK in its illustration mastery of nature's plants and animals, of luminous focus and contrasting shadows, of shifting perspectives, angles, and distances, and of enhancing the text with layers of visual meaning. Originally published in 1994, it has been reissued in paperback, featured on Reading Rainbow, and read/discussed on You Tube, often.

There are so many ways to compare these two titles. Elements of the concrete story similarities and differences are only the first step. Explore the sensitive and attentive natures of the boys, their individual good intentions, and the surprising appeal of what are often considered yucky critters. The illustration techniques, effects, and page designs invite comparisons, too. 

The books also abound in contrasts. Note closely the use of dialogue for parent-child interactions, including use/lack of dialogue tags. Overall these books, taken together, offer prime material for a variety of graphic organizing tools: from simple Venn diagrams to T-charts, to pro-con lists delineating personal preferences and offering supporting evidence for opinions.

Despite those opportunities for developing analytic skills, please do the creators of both books the justice they deserve. Each is a work of art and craft, worthy of a fluent, mindful reading without disruption by commentary. Only then, following some moments for reflection, should the stories and books themselves be discussed as literary works. 

Finally, perhaps even days or weeks later, those analytic approaches are well-suited. But I urge you to keep the books readily available for readers to simply choose and repeat, examining and delighting in the remarkable power of well-crafted picture books.

Whether you are still recovering from Spring floods or anticipating hurricanes during summer months, or just looking for a great pair of picture books, I urge you to give these a try. 

Little Books with Big Ideas: What We Can Learn from Pigeon

The magnitude of recent tragedies reminded me that picture books, sometimes the smallest, can have really big ideas. Those ideas often make more sense than those of all the pundits and scholars and religious leaders put together. 

At least it seems that way to me. 

Here's an example I often use, and it feels more relevant and "bigger" now than ever before:

Hyperion Books, 2003

DON'T LET THE PIGEON 

DRIVE THE BUS, 

words and pictures by 

MO WILLEMS.

Since Pigeon's debut to the world of books in 2003 he's become a potent figure in the minds and hearts of kids and adults alike. His titles number at a dozen or more, in multiple languages, with his own interactive website and plush toys. Few kid-lit characters have reached such a level of popularity, and I don't begrudge him his success.

I'm writing this post to address the power this little bird has to offer high level wisdom for anyone of any age. He's such a confident little fellow that I'm counting on him to shoulder a symbolic role for all the other picture book characters with wisdom to offer. 

 I had the privilege of hearing Mo Willems speak about Pigeon shortly after it had been awarded the Caldecott Honor. Among his many engaging and entertaining remarks, Willems reported that some glowing reviews drew contradictory conclusions about what Pigeon was "teaching" kids. I'll paraphrase here: 

One reviewer praised the book because kids need to hear the message: NO MEANS NO.  Another's praise included this: Kids need to hear DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

Pictures: Mo Willems
DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS.

When the laughter subsided, Willems remarked that interviewers seemed eager to ask him which message was "right". His reply (again, paraphrasing) was a shoulder shrug. This was followed by a general comment that his purpose was to entertain, and it was in the hands and hearts of the readers to decide what any message might be. 

Pictures: Mo Willems:
DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS

When tragic events unfold, whether on our screens or in our neighborhoods, our world seems to have gone mad. It takes only a glance around us to connect extreme actions in the news with issues like impulse-control, resistance to regulation, and demands for "we-want-what-we-want-when-we-want-it". 

Pigeon is an example of these patterns and uses every ploy to achieve his dream. The page image on the right only scratches the surface of his tactics. In fact, his tantrum page is a favorite among initial and repeat readers, including me.

Pictures by Mo Willems:
DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS

This tantrum page is best delivered in full voice while channeling every rant you've ever delivered or witnessed: 

LET ME DRIVE THE BUS!

In his initial book, and in subsequent titles, Pigeon's personality is unmistakable. Even so, defining that personality generates a debate as lively as the reviewers' "message" statements reveal. 

One one hand: Pigeon is a spoiled, demanding, defiant, stubborn character. He disrupts and disturbs the peace a reader should reasonably expect in a book.

On the other hand: Pigeon is a dreamer, out-of-the-box, an innovator, persistent, with a generous dollop of grit and he energizes the book and the reader.

Can we agree that both descriptions fit? In fact,  the descriptors from one point of view might well appear in thesaurous entries as synonyms for descriptors from the opposite position. The difference is connotation or value judgements.

Let me take a moment to add third view of Pigeon. He's a cunning, observant, creative, problem-solving bird with a dream. He's a bird who respects the rule of law and doesn't fail to seek and wait for permission. He recognizes the right of others to control their own property. He doesn't try to sneak onto the bus, distract the reader from vigilance, or lie about having permission. He is, at his core, honest and respectful of social standards, even while imaging himself in a role outside the norm. 
Even while his dream is being denied.

How many characters are in this book?

Another debate ensues when I ask this question of readers of any age.  

Should the answer be ONE? After all, Pigeon conducts the entire story other than the introductory and concluding lines by the Bus Driver.

But shouldn't the answer be TWO? After all, without those opening and closing lines, there is no problem to solve, no story for Pigeon to portray!

My additional view of the story is that there are THREE characters. Both Pigeon and Driver are essential to the story, but without the Reader playing a role-  actively upholding the Driver's directive throughout, resisting Pigeon's winsome and willful requests- there is no story. 

One could say that every book requires the reader to play a part, and yet I can easily imagine many tales lying inside a closed book like actors in a play, prepared to pop out and reveal the story in its entirety whether the reader is attentive or not. Just picture a video playing in an empty room. The entire story unfolds even without an audience.

In the case of Pigeon and the Driver, though, the Reader's unscripted role is a debate in itself: Was the Driver's trust well-placed? And, if not, if the Reader dares to say "YES" instead of "NO", the story ends. 

Circling back, now, to my introductory reference to tragic events. You may note that I didn't link or label the one closest to the date of this post. I began with that step, but removed it. I am sadly realistic enough to predict that other tragic, traumatic events will continue to occur and we'll need to continue to find ways to make sense of the world's horrors for young readers. The links and reflections here may continue to be useful if that happens.

Books can serve to develop empathy and care-taking, as are the examples in a post by fourth-grade teacher Laura Weakland for Nerdy Book Club Blog (Here).  Then there's this post from A YEAR OF READING. It dates back to 2014 and yet its featured picture book titles continue to be excellent resources for exploring topics of fairness and justice. I share both these posts and encourage you to search for others because kids (in homes, classrooms, libraries) need to have many opportunities to explore books on big topics, to engage fully as readers rather than as bystanders, and to recognize that open and peaceful debates allow us to become a stronger community rather than a divided one. 

In this election year more than any before.

A ranting adherence to black/white, right/wrong, good/evil beliefs is often at the heart of tragic news events. Our superhero culture may leave kids feeling that without superpowers they have no ability to affect their world. Books like these encourage them to see that each individual, as a thinker, a dreamer, and a member of a community, has a voice but also an obligation to listen respectfully, honestly. Talking about big ideas in little books provides valuable practice in growing safer citizens for the future.
Pigeon's ultimate respect for his place in society, even when that affects his dreams, is a good place to begin.
I hope even Pigeon would agree with that.