A Pair of Funny Nonfiction: Shumaker and Powell Partnership

Creative partnerships are magical things when they work out well. In the case of these companion nonfiction titles, it's a match made in publishing heaven. Debra Kempf Shumaker writes concise, informative text in crisply rhymed phrases while Claire Powell's illustrations offer comically creative impressions of the wide array of creatures described. Along with the joyful fun conveyed, each critter-image reveals key scientific facts about each species.

RUNNING PRESS KIDS, 2022

RUNNING PRESS KIDS, 2021

Their two titles I'm excited to share are  FREAKY, FUNKY FISH: Odd Facts About Fascinating Fish  and PECULIAR PRIMATES: Fun Facts About These Curious Creatures. These are both valuable additions to any home, classroom, library, or school collection. They will leap off the nonfiction shelves, inviting the lucky finder to dive deeply into the rich details embedded in each and every page. Details and curiosity-sparking facts are included in the endpapers and title pages. Back matter in both books invite further learning with author notes, category listings, maps, resources, and links and charts. Those expressive characters spark curiosity and convey complexity beyond simply naming and showing any particular species. The flow of main text makes reading front-to-back a wonderful experience, especially reading aloud. The secondary text surrounding critters might be added details, or speech/sound effects, and more. All in all these stand up well in  repeated visits and are useful as reference sources for exploring specific animals or groups of animals further.

This post is an intentionally short and enthusiastic one about two books that deserve plenty of time to examine, share, and tell your friends about. Do it soon, okay? 

IT'S CORN PICKING TIME! A Must-Harvest New Picture Book

 In case you are unfamiliar, I want to call out author JILL ESBAUM as a master of rhymed text in picture books. Click on her name to see full shelves of titles she's created. Two of my favorite, most heart-tugging titles are WHERE'D MY JO GO? and TEENY TINY TOADY. I always think of Jill's books when I hear familiar advice to writers of picture books, that they should avoid rhyme. The second half of that advice is not always linked, but it matters the most...

UNLESS YOU CAN WRITE IN RHYME PERFECTLY! 

and, sometimes added...

UNLESS IT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL YOUR STORY.

That's a high bar indeed, and authors like JILL ESBAUM raise the bar even higher. Not all of her books are in rhyme, but those that are bring enhanced rhythm and pacing with lively and natural language to share the stories even BETTER than prose might. As someone who sometimes writes in rhyme, I consider Esbaum's books to be the gold standard for deciding if my rhyming efforts are improving the story or detracting from it. Her rhymed text, when she chooses to use it, make the results feel like those stories were BORN rhyming. 

 

NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2025

IT'S CORN PICKING TIME, illustrated by Melissa Crowton, is an ideal example of excellence in rhymed text, with the added challenge that this is an excellent informational picture book!

The first lines made me imagine this would be a variant on "This is the house that Jack built." There are several superb picture books that use that template, and I had no doubt that Esbaum would do it well. But I was surprised and pleased to see that she used only that short intro phrase to explore (along with vibrant and only slightly abstracted images throughout) the people, places, tools, processes, and majesty of corn harvest on a modern farm. 

"This is a farmer, her hat and her gloves,

This is the farm, a land that she loves."

are the opening lines that set not only the launching scene for corn-harvest day but also the warmth and emotional depth of life on a farm. An effort to construct a cumulative text would not ahve allowed each of the elements of this remarkable process to shine on its own.

From the screeching barn door to the keys tucked on a high shelf, readers are invited into THIS SPECIFIC farm, to join THIS farmer in THIS harvest. It becomes a very personal experience, and the stages involved rise above what I know to be a dusty, hot, exhausting task into satisfying, gratifying, and important work. It is also clear that farming, though occasionally lonely, is not a solo operation. Various folks of diverse ages, roles, and conditions play important parts. Even random bugs have their very authentic place on the shed shelves. 

I was particularly impressed with the natural flow of language, with accurate terminology feeling natural and accessible within nearly musical text (chaff, auger, combine). The morning-to-night framework for the harvest story incorporates soaring scavenging birds, collaborative coworkers, prowling farm cats, a faithful watchdog, and young ones. 

This is a story in which the corn is the star, but the adult farmer (female, POC) orchestrates the performance. Another frequently stated "rule" of writing picture books is that kids need to play the lead role, to solve the problem, etc. As with the prior-stated advice, this is often true. Unless it can be done as masterfully as this. The adult farmer is in every way integrated with her own family, other workers, and even into a society at large. 

And the land. Always the land.

Back matter is handled equally well. Final spreads describe "LIFE ON A CORN FARM" through simple Q and As, along with enhancing spot illustrations. Jill and her husband live on a farm in Iowa, a home that has been in their family for over a hundred years. That suggests to me that the facts are reliable, but also that the heart of it is also authentic. As someone with farm family background, there's no denying that farming of any kind is demanding, wearing, and even sometimes heartbreaking. And yet farmers stay, and farm, and root themselves into the processes that feed us all. I admire this latest Esbaum effort  for its skillful informational content, for the natural cycle of a day on the farm, and, of course, for the perfectly written rhyme. Illustrator Crowton shares my the praise for the many ways in which the color, design, and details portrayed expanded the warmth and clarity of CORN PICKING TIME!

TOGETHER WE SWIM: Don't Miss This!

 I am a genuine fan of author Valerie Bolling. Since her picture book debut she has consistently captured everyday magic in lives of young children and families, with a special gift for starring Black families within scenarios that once ignored them. Black Child Joy is authentically portrayed without glamour or exaggeration, and her titles welcome ALL children to recognize themselves within those  universal situations, emotions, and developmental learning stages. I reviewed her earlier title, TOGETHER WE RIDE, here, including my "rememory" (thank you, Toni Morrison for that priceless vocabulary addition) of learning to ride a bike with my dad.

Chronicle Books, 2023

A companion title has splashed on the scene, and it is equally welcome and celebrated: TOGETHER WE SWIM!, also illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. I'd like to say that learning to swim is a universal experience, since it is skill more vital to a long life/survival than bike riding and does not require much equipment. Sadly, some recent statistics indicate that about 70% of all Black Americans DO NOT know how to swim. (Check article here.)

Before my praise/raves for this book begins, I'll mention the dedications. 

From the author:

"For every child who's learned to swim and for those who one day will." 

And from the illustrator: 

"To Black mothers, aunties, grandmothers, and guardians. We celebrate the entirety of you."

These captured some of my favorite aspects of this new offering. The portrayals of a new-learning child in a family of successful swimmers is ideal, especially in his ambivalence of eagerness and anxious concern. It is the mom, in this case, who does the direct instructing and provides hands-on support that allows the child to take that first dip, to grip and eventually release, to risk and trust, to succeed. The rest of his supportive family notices, cheers, and welcomes him to their world of confidence and joy in the watery world, a second happy habitat for life and joy. 

All that can be found in images, including expressive features and body language, watery effects that begin and end on end papers, and a resolve that extends the learning of new things into a family bonding moment that stays with you. 

But that visual narrative only enhances Bolling's brilliant rhymed text. Those of us who write picture book text often hear (and repeat) only a slice of the message we receive from agents and publishers: "not interested in rhymed text". The ENTIRE message is actually more true, and Bolling's crisp, creative, compelling rhymed titles prove the rule: No one wants to read attempted rhymed text unless it is precisely written in rhyme and meter, unless it tells the story better than prose would, unless it reads well aloud and in natural language. Bolling is not an exception to a rule,  she proves it. Rhymed picture book text that was well done is ALWAYS welcome, especially in families with young children. Since her first picture book was published a few years ago she continues to create lively language, gaining fans among readers and those who MAKE books..

A brief example:

"Toe dip,"

"Side grip"

TOGETHER WE SWIM, Interior Spread

I'll bet those four words generate your own "rememories" of making your way into a pool before learning to swim. They're all that are needed for the first two double page spreads, in which we meet this young man and his family, swimming along on his journey. By my count the entire text is 76 words, each perfectly achieving  exactly what it should; no more, no less. The two-to-three word lines in rhymed couplets allow young readers to chime in, to read along, to eventually read on their own with the same gradual acquisition of skill and growth in confidence that this swimmer displays. 

Don't waste another moment of summer before reading and sharing this delightful book. And check in your community to see if there are ways you can support the teaching of swimming in Black communities for all ages. Like riding a bike, it's never too late to learn!

A few years ago I had several swimsuits in great condition but not being used. I checked and found an elementary school that sponsored after-school swimming lessons but found some unable to participate due to lack of swimsuits or the means to buy them. I was able to make those lessons possible for a half dozen kids and adults at no cost to me other than dropping off those suits or mailing them to an address they provided. 

POETRY Picture Books: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

Technically, these are not both poetry books. In an award category, the first would be considered a poetry collection by a single author. The second is a concept picture book in rhyme. Both are illustrated in ways that enhance the text, both are smile-inducing, and both will appeal to a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and can be shared for many purposes. 

CAMERON KIDS, 2023

ANIMALS IN PANTS is written by Suzy Levinson and illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell This first picture book is, in case you had any doubt, the RIDICULOUS side of the title in the post. I spent many happy minutes simply imagining how the author/poet first explored that premise... What would I have to say about animals in pants? In poems? 

Well, the cover offers hints (and ha-ha's) to invite readers to open up and explore the poems and images inside. The front end papers pose the central question;

"WHAT? You've never seen an animal in pants?"

By the way, the closing end papers suggest there could be a sequel, with this question: "What? You've never seen animals in hats?" After reading this collection I'd happily enjoy that newer offering if it comes to pass.

Let me just say that the star of the title page is a bear in pants who reminds me of a lovable character in one of the earliest picture book collections of my childhood. So I was a fan from the start. Opposite that page are the dedications by the author (To Dan: I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LEGGINGS), and by the illustration pair, to their nieces and nephews (THANK YOU FOR WEARING PANTS). With a start like that, nothing could disappoint! 

An array of animals from the familiar (cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, etc.) to the exotic (snakes, antelopes, yaks) and concluding with a clever poem incorporating a surprise tailor.Each poem could become the favorite of a variety of readers of many ages, many lines are memorable enough to become memes, to spread smiles into grins, on to "let me read this to you" funny. So, this, dear readers, is my nominee as a ridiculously irresistible picture book of poems.

LITTLE BROWN & COMPANY, 2022

Next up, WHEN I'M WITH YOU, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, lands squarely in the SUBLIME half of the title. I have come to expect the very best from either of these creators, regardless of their partners in picture book creating. But when they pair their talents the results are often magical. (If you've missed earlier comments about their work together, check HERE for my thoughts about WHEREVER YOU GO and HERE for BE BRAVE!) 

MIller's picture book success is indisputable, and she has also established a strong following for her workshops and webinars to support and coach other writers of picture book text. In those settings and in program presentations I've heard her say that she seldom writes in rhyme. I'll share my thought that when she does, though, she knocks it out of the park. In several of those titles, her rhymed text works perfectly for the purpose of the book, while actively developing the full narrative for the story arc as it unfolds, page by page. in this case, that is true, but it is also true that individual stanzas could stand alone as independent poems that might be memorized and recited by a delighted child who falls in love with the language and sense of those lines. 

An example of one stanza I adore (among many of these) is this:

"You're the numbers of my set,

all the suns I don't know yet.

But if one plus one makes two,

I'm the one who goes with you."

If you assume that every stanza repeats that line prompt, you underestimate the skill and craft that guides Miller's writing, and Wheeler's visual narrative that propel these charming and diverse characters, including a dog-buddy pair, through many life experiences. The ending is satisfying and inspired, making this a kid-friendly picture book that's also a brilliant choice for friends of any age. That might be a friend moving away, a mentor-mentee gift of thanks, a parent-child gift as relationships mature beyond dependence to friendships, or an end-of-school-year gift to a very special teacher. This, though, is why I call it sublime. Whoever the audience, whatever the purpose, this is a picture book you won't want to miss.

ON A GOLD-BLOOMING DAY: Finding Fall Treasures

 There are a few "official" days of fall remaining before the winter solstice, and nature in this upper midwest region seems to agree. After a late November snowfall that melted, raked leaves at the curb in our neighborhood were collected by city workers, thank goodness. There are plenty of leaves remaining in yards, though, with many swirling around my front and back doors. They are either captured by some windy vortex or something is telling them to do their best to get inside while they can. 

Today I collected some off those leaves and tucked them into another part of the yard. This surprising activity on a day appearing on my December calendar page reminded me of a gorgeous picture book I read among the nominees for Elementary Nonfiction Cybils Awards. 

MIllbrook Press, 2022

ON A GOLD-BLOOMING DAY: Finding Fall Treasures is written by Buffy Silverman with extraordinary photographs by a variety of credited artisans. Many of the images feature active animals and will captivate and fascinate young audiences. Short rhyming phrases are delightfully arranged on collaged photos, vibrant images that expand on the brief lines. These engaging spreads are book-ended by intensely-golden-orange, solid color endpapers. 

With precise and descriptive rhymes, FALL experiences and observations involve creative adjectives and lively verb choices, as in these:

"On a nut-crunching,

    leaf-lunching,

        hole-digging day...

Clouds rumble.

    Raindrops tumble.

        Mushrooms pop.

            Acorns drop

                Fawns graze.

                    Sumacs blaze."

These phrases are brilliant in word choice as are the photographic images selected to reveal even more. Then lines culminate in a spectacular double page spread of a luminous, luxurious sunlit amber park scene with just two words: "WELCOME, FALL!" This is followed by three pages of brief explanatory text based on each phrase, describing the pictured/named creatures and their habits in a few simple lines. 

This, then, is a title I should have featured back in September, but is also a book for all time. It is a feast for the eyes and ears, with digestible bites of science, too. Check it out- but don't wait until NEXT Fall!

Another Look AT JOY!

Here's a brief post with a review to follow-up my previous post about summer fun, currently and in "the good old days", as recalled by Jacqueline Woodson. In that post I praise the recent THE WORLD BELONGED TO US and, slightly older, THE HULA-HOOPIN' QUEEN. Within those books and my notes are celebrations of PLAY and JOY. The circumstances in each are location- and time-specific, with both, in fact, set in densely urban city streets. The images are universal while  anchored in those specifics. Text and images effectively speak to Black-American audiences, and yet the aspirations and challenges apply to ANY child in any culture, (at least to those  living with the human right to play and grow naturally, not dealing with trauma, war, poverty and other disruptions in development.)

Candlewick, 2022

Follow those titles with an even MORE universal, affirming, and necessary picture book. This one presents illustrations and authors,  text to inspire and demonstrate the potential of every child, but specifically a girl child. In fact, a Black girl child. BLACK GIRL RISING is written by Brynne Barnes and illustrated by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh.

From the glowing cover art and expression, a lyrical, rhyming text embeds single name references to Black female icons in many fields. Lines issue challenges to the "girl" being addressed. A half-mocking voice mirrors phrasing that would have been used across centuries, confrontations directly issued to intimidate and belittle anyone who was getting "uppity", acting as if they were/might be talented, capable, beautiful, and in so many ways valuable! A sort of "Who do you think you are?" attack. As the names roll across the pages, so do the images, the every-Black-girl possibilities, including a variety of skin and hair tones and types, features, body shapes, and cultural dress. Expressions, too, are wide-ranging, not simply dreamy-eyed and positive. The illustrations and color pallet provide effective showcases for these variations, including the less-often seen images of "blue-purple, black-ruby-sapphire tones". 

Throughout all stanzas and double-page spreads there is strength, rhythm, and musicality that uplift while firmly anchoring the characters in sure-footed confidence. Various lines also blend Black-culture vocabulary in powerful patterns and unexpected ways:

"from your skin, your lips, your freckles, you're fade,

your fro, your naps, your dreads, your braids,

your  blowout, your kinks, your twists, your waves, 

your coils, so free and unafraid.

Who gave you a CROWN so wonderfully made?"

As I so often say, (many) picture books will find purpose and appeal across a wide range of ages. This would make an ideal gift book for a young girl about to enter school, or having a recital or performance of some kind, celebrating a landmark birthday, or even graduating. Just imagine the many generations of Black youth who received the time-honored SEUSS book for graduation instead of this. It's about time, I say. As for upper grade literature classes, use this to identify the remarkable array of authors mentioned and locate the words or references to iconic lines or titles or themes. For this lovely picture book my only suggestion would have been to provide that reference list in a single page back matter, citing full names and titles referenced

Please check it out and share it. And PLEASE DO not think it is "only" for Black audiences. 

Please. All children need diverse books, and diverse images about others.