Don't Give Up Now! I Think We CAN!

Anchoring this post in time: 

We are five weeks into the Safer-at-Home, social-distancing, flatten the curve of Covid19 process. The efforts have been paying off in several ways: gradually reducing the rate of new cases, lowering the count of daily deaths, and finding our way through at home/distance approaches to teaching, learning, working, connecting, and otherwise adjusting. 

We are also in the midst of politicizing the pandemic in unimaginable ways, including defiant gatherings and protests with questionable purposes.

People need to make their own choices, as long as those choice don't harm others. When personal choices put others at risk, we are all entitled- no, obligated- to speak out. We dare not allow boredom or frustration or ignorance or worry or blind hope to put others in danger, to squander the progress that has been made. 

Platt & Munk, 1940

I grew up in a family that adored books, stories, newspapers, comic books, and reading of all kinds. It was at a time when there were far fewer picture books, but those we had were treasured friends. Among those golden treasures (and many actually were GOLDEN BOOKS), the one book that was in our home and that of every kid I knew was Watty Piper's THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. 
It was the source of a refrain that we all knew and understood, the tag line we could reference with universal recognition:

I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN!

If this book is new to you, we'll need a deep conversation to figure out how that is possible! 

The picture books I grew up with were few, but they were timeless, and this one is an all-time classic. The 1940 original eventually continued life in GOLDEN BOOK versions, board book versions, Disney portrayals, anthologized stories, Sunday sermons, commencement speeches, and international translations.

Platt & Munk, 2020

What a dilemma when it came time to wish that big-hearted and determined Little Engine a Nintieth Birthday! How could anyone possibly do justice tot this amazing  book?

THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, 90th Birthday Edition, by Watty Piper and illustrated by Dan Santat manages to do just that.

This little engine remained a classic for many reasons. Some are related to excellence in storytelling craft (problem/solution, cycles of repetition, prediction and surprises). Watty Piper's original full text is honored in this edition and continues to shine.  Many happy memories are related to the delightful original artwork. Most importantly, the enduring affection of readers across ninety years of generational sharing relates deeply to the heart of the story- a message that we each can shape our own future by believing in ourselves, and that the world DEPENDS on us to do our very best, always and in all ways.

Illustrator Dan Santat was tagged to reimagine this timeless classic, a daunting task. That could not have been an easy contract to accept, knowing that millions of readers hold the original images close to their hearts. With his vibrant, muscular, expressive art, he met that challenge beautifully. Remarkably, Santat succeeded in capturing the truth and colorful energy of the original while offering a fresh approach with as much appeal while retaining an embrace of nostalgia. 
Compare the two covers to admire the ways in which color tones and characterizations were preserved while amping up the dimensions, the perspectives, scale, and expressiveness of the toys, engines and landscapes. Here are just a few snaps of interior spreads.

I hope you will consider ordering one or more copies of this outstanding reissue from an independent bookstore, if you can afford to do so. Give them as gifts. Please take the message to heart. We need all the reminders we can get that the hardest tasks are still within our capacity to achieve. 
Everyone involved in this global health crisis is forced to admit the limits of their understanding of the eventual outcome. What we do know is that our uphill struggles to deal with  our altered lives will be challenging, even painful. But it will not be permanent. Let's not stop believing that we can, we can, we can get through this. 

At some point in the future we will all crest that hill and make our way to a better future. That time that will arrive sooner and more successfully if we pull together (apart) and keep chugging along, 

That's when we can proudly agree "I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could."

Busy Bus Is Back- with a New Journey Ahead!

I was eager to share BUSY BUS last summer (2018) when this lively little vehicle first appeared in the picture book world, HERE.  IT'S YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, BUSY BUS is Jody Jensen Shaffer's take on a first-day-of-school story that's original and ideal for the smallest school kids, especially ones going on a school bus for the very first time. In it, we learn how eager and ready BUSY BUS is for that important job, but also how the worries of a brand new bus can mirror those of a small child: Will I get homesick? Will I make friends? The reassurances from more experienced school buses and others, along with the installation of his nameplate, allow BUSY BUS to "square his shoulders", regain his spirit, and head out into the world with confidence.  

The recent release of IT'S A FIELD TRIP, BUSY BUS finds BUSY BUS (name plate intact) expanding his responsibilities from school-home round trips to taking kids on a field trip to the FIRE STATION. 
In the original picture book, BUSY BUS is eager to begin its important purpose in life, but worries about not having the size, importance, or fancy bells and whistles of larger buses and equipment. While BUSY BUS works through that anxious stage, young readers are introduced to the many safety components of a bus and their specific part-names. This "first" for BUSY BUS provides a stage for young readers to learn similar key points about fire trucks and their operators and tools. Meanwhile, as BUSY BUS loses confidence about his ability to handle a place in the lives of those young learners, the bigger, bulkier, better-established FIRETRUCK helps BUSY BUS recognize his own value. 
I really enjoy the blend of real-world situations and information combined with revealing the emotional and personified trucks/buses who recognize the cautious-and-fragile self-concept of the newcomer. When they offer their guiding insights as experienced mentor "elders" their encouragement is successful. 
As I wrote this draft and saved it to publish now, I had time to think about the importance of young children developing confidence and agency, how they learn to trust older and more experienced kids and adults. I marveled again at the skill in storytelling and simple imagery that brings BUSY BUS to life as so much more than a machine or a character. BUSY BUS is truly a friend to the reader, and a heroic model for the courage he summons despite his self-doubt. 

Those thoughts reminded me of the importance of older-peer support, of the roles that lead to his success in both books. I suddenly remembered a book that is a timeless and universal favorite, THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD by Watty Piper. And time to remember that book meant I could add the reference here before sharing the post.
A simple chant of "I THINK I CAN" calls to mind the bravery of that little blue engine who saved the holidays for the children. In its case, though, the other trains and engines declined to take on a role better suited them, extending their disdain for the little engine and its trivial task into taunts and ridicule. That brave little engine persisted in spite of having no support, and some kids will need to do the same. 
But how much more positive and hopeful it is to have a hero like BUSY BUS who is capable, but needs encouragement and perspective to regroup and reach its potential. Isn't that what we hope will be available for all kids? BUSY BUS models an ability to accept help and to trust, to turn to the greater society for guidance in order to reach his goals. I'm really pleased that this frame of support continues through this second book featuring BUSY BUS.
Claire Messer also continues her partnership with BUSY BUS, preserving his delightful personality and the ongoing delight and curiosity of the kids in each scene. In fact, it's fun to notice the diverse collection of kids, figuring out if they are the same group as pictured in the original book. Also ideal is the identical square-chunky-oversized format of both titles, reinforcing the face-front image of BUSY BUS in each book. How long will we have to wait to learn more about the future adventures of BUSY BUS?