The COW SAID BOO! Laughs Guaranteed!

PAJAMA PRESS, 2021

My sincere wish for us all is that none shall suffer a summer cold. But in case you do, here's a picture book with a fun spin on sneezing. THE COW SAID BOO!  is written by Lara Button and illustrated by Alice Carter. 

There are plenty of visual cues to make this a great title to add to your fall/Halloween collection, and it's a terrific variant on the typical ghost story. Even so, I love it as a summer read. Farm trips, day camps, pick-your-own berry outings, and even car trips with counting cows (people still do that, right?) invite books about cows. 

In this case, when COW has a cold and tires to say MOO!  it comes out BOO!  As someone who is overcome by sneezes (even when not caused by a cold) I loved that COW's sneezing sends her stumbling and bumbling into a sheet on a clothesline, and ... you can guess from there, can't you?

In this case the brightly colorful and cartoonish characters and settings invite little ones to cock-a-doodle along, and recognize that something unknown can be scary. Sometimes even friends  we know can seem not quite themselves. The humor in images invites repeated readings and reading-along, eventually showing  a highly satisfying benefit to this poor cow's condition. This is a picture book without guise or glamour, without intentional or implied messages, but one whose fun and frolic involve lively language, loyalty, and laughter.

For a paired reading, be sure to read  BOB, NOT BOB! by Liz Garton Scanlon.

LITTLE, BROWN BYR, 2017

 A boy with a cold is mispronouncing loads of words, starting with MOM! The fun and clever writing is no surprise (it's by Liz Scanlon!) so it's a highly recommended choice for word play and evoking some serious laughter (is that an oxymoron?). If you or kiddos you know are dealing with stuffed noses, both books are MUST HAVES. 

Or even if you're not! 

Both are read-aloud delights, especially for those who like to ham it up!

Two Information Picture Books - from Two Angles

 I've started gathering some nonfiction picture books to consider from 2023. First, though, I remind readers that fiction picture books are superb sources for learning about the world. Please don't dismiss that statement as applying only to tots and kiddos! Many fiction titles provide intentional, incredible amounts of reliable information about fascinating topics, including STEM subjects.  Picture book editors and fact checkers are unrelenting in crosschecking to assure the latest and most accurate content for those young minds. Authors rely on MANY sources, providing useful author notes and resources in back matter, including safe online links.

G. P. Putnam and Sons, 2023

The first book I'm loving is a great example of incredible care in research and writing. Author Scanlon is a master of using facts within a fiction picture book, especially with lyrical rhymed text. (See some recent posts of other titles by Scanlon). In this case, she includes information about wolf pups and packs in a picture book written and illustrated with delightful charm and appeal. FULL MOON PUPS is written by Liz Garton Scanlon, delightfully illustrated by Chuck Groenink.

Once again, the opening and closing end paper illustrations provided a visual synopsis of what to expect. Both spreads feature wolf, helping even youngest readers sense the changes of time with the initial scene featuring a single adult wolf moving through misty mountainsides under a left-of-page full moon. The final endpapers feature the same evocative background, but the full moon has reoriented to a right-of-page location, subtly suggesting that months have passed. In the lower foreground, what appears to be that same wolf is trailed through the night by five wolf pups, maturing into the next learning phase of their lives.

Lyrical excellence inspired the illustrator to such detail-packed images that support even the youngest audiences in understanding of longer time passages and actual wolf pack/pup development/behaviors within this particular fictional example. Scanlon's straightforward, expansive, themed text draws attention to transitions among the new littermates, the changing landscape, and the pups themselves. The author's note and brief information about the phases of the moon augment this fact-packed fiction offering.

Candlewick Press, 2023

The second title also moves readers through a particular time period and setting, focusing instead on the survival and developmental stages of an amphibian. Treefrogs are certainly a species with visual appeal but is far from cuddly, to most of us. ONE TINY TREEFROG : A Countdown to Survival is a vibrant and revealing creation from Tony PIedra and Mackenzie Joy 

The word choices in this simple, count-down-from-ten text are vivid, energetic, and wonderfully descriptive. I'd go so far as to say smile-inducing. The subject of this book, the truly TINY treefrog, is portrayed on oversized, nature-hued pages as ten egg/tadpoles progress through their growth cycle while diminishing in number. Each page reveals threatening habitat or predator that reduces their likelihood of survival. Fear not, though, that the eventual arrival of ZERO means none survive. The conclusion is, in fact, exciting and very satisfying. 

The countdown text is in large, bold font while tiny text labels various living things on each spread with its common name and scientific designation. Brief back matter includes directly addressing the treefrog's  life cycle patterns, the specific habitat (in lowland wet forests of Costa Rica), and a lovely spread of that setting within which the thirteen other named creatures are pictured, circled, and numbered along side a numbered naming list. This poses a seek-and-find challenge that drips with learning potential and sparks close observation. That back matter spread is followed by the concluding double spread that provides spotlight images from the eleven counting page stages and stars, including briefly extended details about each. 

Animal life and wildlife settings provide endless appeal across many ages. Whether the young ones you know are traveling to such places or spending summer on STAY-cations, these two titles are first class tickets to explore, experience, and learn about them.

WE ARE STARLINGS: A Look Inside a Murmuration of Birds

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

Random House Studio, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

THE WORLD'S BEST CLASS PLANT

 That heading is NOT a typo. 

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

G. P. Putnam's Sons
2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tick-Tock: (Not that one)- FIVE MINUTES!

How can half a month disappear while my back was turned? I was busy, sure, but where did the time go?
It seems like I just posted my enthusiastic celebration of our Cybils Nonfiction Finalists for Elementary and Middle Grade titles, but that was TWO WEEKS AGO! 

Isn't it strange that in some circumstances time flies past and in others it drags along in a dreary slog? (Although I can confirm from personal experience that the older one becomes, the more the speedy-where-did-the-time-go reaction is much more common.)

G. P. Putnam and Sons, 2019

Even so, kids will be the first to point out that any given segment of time is not a mathematically defined span of Earth's rotation. Take, for example, "five minutes", as authors Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick did in their recent picture book, FIVE MINUTES (That's a lot of time) (No, it's not) (Yes, it is). With perfectly paced text cuing recognizable situations that prompt grins, giggles, and groans, illustrator Olivier Tallec interprets this familiar family with every conceivable attitude about just exactly how variable "five minutes" can be. 
Not "seem", but actually BE, in the life of a child, at least. 
Together the text and images  reveal "five minutes" dragging on during painfully boring w-a-i-t-i-n-g, or zipping past when savoring something special.  Speaking of painful, what about those five minutes in a dentist's chair, or when a bathroom stall isn't available- yet. 
There are layers of laughter and love throughout, as the parents and kiddo experience time in different ways, including the heartwarming last minutes of this book. 
Years ago my neighbor-friends had a delightfully precocious tot who began talking early. Some of the first words little Tracy learned were "When?" and "How soon?" Before long she added "It is time yet?'
To all of the above, Mom's gentle response was typically, "Not quite yet."
That was effective for a few weeks. 
But then, when asked/told to do something, Tracy began answering, in a calm and charming tone, "Not quite yet."
I thought of that relationship as I read this book and know that readers of any age will recall their own experiences with that sense of the flexibility and frustrations of time. I can't imagine anyone reading this book and not wanting to tell someone about it, before or after reading it several times more.

Holiday House, 2019

As we all well know, time (on the clock) is anything BUT flexible. Since that is a sad but challenging fact, you may want to check out a recent book by the prolific and kid-friendly author, David A. Adler. His nonfiction picture book, TELLING TIME, is illustrated by Edward Miller and does an impressive job of answering the important question: WHAT IS TIME?
with simple direct address, multiple familiar scenes, and important time-related vocabulary, this book states numerical facts, compares time-measures, establishes relative references for time spans, considers tools and technology, and allows for practice in telling time. 
The diverse characters, speech bubbles, and cartoonish scenes make complex content feel friendly and approachable. A short glossary and author note at the back are also helpful. 
This is intended for instruction, but has lots more appeal than an academic text, making it a great way to return to the book time after time. (<

In many years of teaching, my students and I would often discuss the question, "What superpower would you choose?"
My choice was always control over time, with more examples than I will list here. Suffice it to say, I never developed such powers. Instead I do my best to make the turning of the Earth and the hands on the clock as meaningful and productive and kind as possible. 
When I occasionally manage to succeed at that, I guess it feels pretty super after all. 

Beautiful Bird Books - A Fiction Break!

Join me in taking a break from my nonfiction Cybils readings to share two amazingly appealing books about birds. 

Beach Lane Books

ONE DARK BIRD is written by the endlessly talented Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon.
This is a prime example of how a great picture book story idea (a murmuration of starlings) may spring from casual observations but can achieve greatness as a circle story in rhymed text, a counting book, a bedtime book, and an informative exploration of nature for even the youngest audiences. Scanlon achieves the elevation of an original concept or a simple counting book to one that should (and will) become a classic. It also serves as a masterclass for anyone hoping to write picture books.
Apart from that praise from an adult/writer perspective, this is also a book that kids will adore. It invites us to LOOK UP, to notice the natural world that surrounds us, and to seek further information and/or observations of natural phenomena. 
Starlings are all too often considered noisy, pesty birds, but I can assure you, from up-close and personal experience, they are comic and clever individually, apart from this instinctive pattern of group flight to escape predators. What's more, they are EVERYWHERE, which means kids across the country can step right outside and start watching for the living stars of this story. Migration season means these noisy birds are currently flocking, so it is an ideal time to LOOK UP and spot the phenomena.

Beach Lane Books

The second superior bird book is FLY! by Mark Teague. This is not a story of fall flocking. Instead, it features a springtime fledgling who (obviously) has been well fed and nurtured. When Baby bird squawks for a worm, Mama bird urges the reluctant nestling to get out and on the branch, to spread its wings and takes steps to grow beyond being a baby. 
Not one word is on a single page, but what a story those pages tell!  The entire (laugh-out-loud) dialogue between these two is conducted in picture-talk-speech-bubbles.
The fuzzy little one has a comical response to each and every one of Mama's argument, with no limit to the creative ways it might migrate ithat won't require learning to fly, or ways to defend itself from predators. 
The humor soars throughout the fledgling's stubborn refusal to fly until a dramatic conclusion elevates the story to a satisfying ending. Little ones will delight in being able to "read" the script on their own, and adults will sympathize with the mostly patient Mama.
These are not among my current nonfiction stack, but I'm refreshed by reading them. Each offers deep and engaging truths in and each will charm and entertain. 

Seeing the World in the Pages of Picture Books

When I launched this blog five years ago I named it after my workshops for educators, librarians, and anyone interested in working with kids and books: Unpacking the Power of Picture Books. I extended my in-person workshops to this blog in an effort to  reach a wider audience and maintain an archive of picture books and comments as a resource. My thesis in both platforms is that picture books are a) alive and well, and b) high quality literature with powerful benefits for many ages.

 I'm not the first to notice that not only are picture books thriving in the publishing world, they are finding wider attention among bloggers, educators, and readers of many ages. That's despite predictions of the demise of picture books in 2010 New York Times article. 

As for the power of picture books for any age, let's consider two examples in this post. First, though, I offer a caution that I've repeated in many posts and in workshops.

Books are meant to be experienced intact, whole and complete. Quality books of any kind, but especially picture books, offer immersive, absorbing engagement, visual feasts, luxurious narratives, and page-turning entertainment. Each book deserves to be read, initially, in that way. Often repeatedly. In fact, before returning to explore books as mentor text for writing, tools for concept discussions, or other analysis, 

HONOR THE BOOK as a whole.
And then, dive in more deeply.

Beach Lane Books, 2009 

ALL THE WORLD is written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, a magical pairing of talents. It was released several years prior to recently organized efforts to raise awareness of and opportunities for greater diversity in images and stories in every format for young readers. (We Need Diverse Books)
Even so, the universality of Scanlon's  lilting, rhythmic, rhyming text  finds it's ideal expression in a visual community realistically and inspiringly varied in age, ethnicity, interest, and expression. It resonates with a natural diversity that sets a high bar for all others.
In scenes that range from expansive to intimate, small visual narratives invite exploration and discussion. Lives intersect and culminate in a gathering in which any and all readers can find themselves revealed. The lushness of the settings contrast with the economy of lines and strokes in the characters' expressions and movement. The cast of dozens, on page after page, offer up ingredients for stories of individual and interconnected lives. The potential for discussions of relationships, mentoring writing craft, and the balance of visual and verbal narrative is unlimited.
Read what New York Times had to say about it, here.

Chronicle Books, 2016

Next, turn to another Caldecott honor winner, more recently released. Both words and images for THEY ALL SAW A CAT were created by Brendan Wenzel. Again, this book must be savored, multitple times, in its wholistic glory. As a cat walks through page after page, it maintains essential traits (whiskers, ears, and paws) but is utterly transformed by the point of view and attitude of each observer. The inherent relationships (and assumptions) of "the others" shape and color their perceptions of what a cat is, or can be. 

Eventually, though, it's worth considering on another, deeper, level. THEY ALL SAW A CAT offers an extended metaphor of the way in which many rely on narrowed perspectives to define others based on individual, predetermined expectations and protective assumptions. Rich discussions can emerge from examining the double-page spread on which the cat is portrayed as bits and pieces of each viewpoint. Being defined by others' limited perceptions of us, especially in adolescence, can have a similarly jarring, disorienting impact. 
At any age, and especially in the pervasive environment of social media, the views of others can shape one's identity, one's sense of self. When teens find narrowly defined labels offered by others disrupting their personal development, a book like this can be a lifeline of perspective and validation. 

Then, in the final page turn, we see the ultimate truth: even when trying to view ourselves honestly and directly, what we discover is ever-changing, not fully accurate, and requires frequent reflection and consideration.

I hope you'll take a close look at these two books, and then find readers of many ages with whom to share them.

Berry Season Has Arrived!

I'm borrowing a post today, due to special circumstances. Here's my list of reasons:

1. I'll need several days to prepare a post about a remarkable picture book workshop I attended on Saturday, 
2. Berry season has arrived and it deserves our attention- NOW!
3. SHELFTALKER created a better picture book post about berry season than I could have!

1) When you read my post about the workshop you'll understand why it required some reflection, digestion, and attention to do it full credit. 

2) After our interminably long and severe winter, having berries ripen is an event even more incredible this year than it's ever been before. 

3) SHELFTALKER is the frequently posted blog by the amazing Josie Leavitt and her talented staff at the Connecticut indie-bookstore everyone loves, THE FLYING PIG. Their blog appears in a Publishers Weekly newsletter I receive digitally. If I've done things right, you should be able to read their full post here.

Just in case you don't have time to do that, or the link gives you fits, (it was doing that for me, but this one seems more reliable,) here are some of the picture books she recommends.

Berry Season 

Josie Leavitt -- June 5th, 2014  Publishers Weekly Digital Newsletter

She starts off with the best of the best, Caldecott-winning classic by Robert McCloskey:

"Of course, Blueberries for Sal is probably my most favorite book about berries. In a humorous mix-up, Little Sal and Little Bear almost switch moms in the quest for blueberries. This classic book really captures the joy of picking berries and the sounds the berries landing in the metal pail…"

Then there's JAMBERRY, by Bruce Degen.

"...Exuberant rhyme make this berry-hunting book a delight and will get kids ready for all manner of berry that might come their way…"

Next up is a modern classic, loaded with color and comedy,  that every child loves:


"...One of the best storytime books is The Little Mouse, the Red-Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear, about a mouse and bear who both love berries…"

Then Josie tops off the list with a new release I haven't yet read. I'm as eager to get my hands on it as I am to gobble berries, since it's the latest release from the amazing Liz Garton Scanlon:

"...The Good-Pie Party, which turns the sadness of a girl moving into a celebration of friendship and the joy of sharing pie. There’s also the older book, The Blueberry Pie Elf, about an blueberry-loving little elf with a large appetite for pie…"

Whether you're picking your own, stopping at a favorite farmer's market, or stocking up at the supermarket, plan to stop by your library or indie bookstore and introduce these berry-picking picture books into your reading diet.

Sports and Arts: Passion and Performance

Recent posts shared stories of past Olympians and their dreams, including Dr. Sammy Lee, Wilma Rudolph, and Alice Coachman. As exciting as the current London Olympics are, looking back to stories from the 1948 London Games also inspires.

Even if you missed the opening ceremonies on Friday night, by now you're aware of the emphasis that was placed on youth and humor, including a welcome salute to children's literature. If previous posts here and on other kid-lit blogs leave you wanting more, check out this Kirkus Reviews blog post of Olympic-themed books.

Art and the Olympics have been paired throughout history, including this year's  2012 Art in the Park exhibits. Until 1936, when the entire Olympics were politicized beyond recognition, the modern Olympics even had art competitions, for amateurs only, of course.

I, for one, am pleased that arts are not viewed in a competitive way in this Olympics. I'm a firm believer that  we should celebrate the many expressions and creators of art not just in Olympics, on cable programs, and in competitions for fame and fortune,  but in our daily lives.

The very recent release of THINK BIG, by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton, reassures me that I'm not alone in this belief.

In less than seventy words, Scanlon's exuberant rhymed text combines with Newton's vibrant, energetic images to celebrate painting, music, scriptwriting, set design, acting, dancing, sewing, singing, sculpture, needlework, craft design, fiction writing, reporting, and photography/videography, not to mention cooking, baking and crafts. The imaginative kids portrayed create individual projects that together produce a result greater than the sum of its parts.

Whether or not one of the creative tots  grows up to be another Danny Boyle and orchestrates a future Olympic opening ceremony, each and every child has the capacity to contribute BIG things to the world. On small stages and large, in family kitchens and in corporate design studios, tomorrow's creators rely on us to encourage them today.

The Olympics are all about measurements, in millimeters, thousandths of seconds, and tenths of points. This passion for perfection has spilled over into our schools, ascribing such high stakes to narrowly-scoped tests that we are crowding creativity and personal expression from young lives.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if this appealing and inspiring picture book had the power to remind parents, administrators, and politicians that education is NOT an Olympic event. Education's aim should be to maximize potential, to seek personal bests from all, not a award a single gold prize. Each child needs opportunity and support to develop his or her own skills and talents, to become "faster, stronger, higher" in a variety of realms of interest, day by day. And, as THINK BIG concludes, to MAKE ART!

In the words of the Olympic Creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Shouldn't that apply to every life goal, to every expression of personal talent and interest? Quite a lot to ask of a little picture book, isn't it? But picture books are powerful, and I like to 

THINK BIG!

What do you have to say about the role of arts and individual expression in a child's educational experience?

Cynthia Leitich Smith recently hosted Liz Garton Scanlon for a guest post on her blog, Cynsations, to reflect on the creation of THINK BIG.