Don't HIDEAWAY the Magic of Childhood Imagination!

 Far too many children in the world, at home and afar, are so occupied with survival that imagination must lie dormant. Others, also far too many, have outsourced their minds to screens. This picture book provides glorious casual insight into the magical space of early imagination could be just the right choice for those who DO indulge in self-generated world-building as well as for those who have abdicated the realm.

RED COMET PRESS. 2023

HIDEAWAY is written by Melania Longo and illustrated by Alesandro Sanna, with translation  by Brenda Porter. While I follow the latest releases, widely acclaimed or otherwise, I get especially excited when I encounter a picture book from prior years that missed my radar. That matters even more when it is from a smaller press and remains deeply relevant in the current moment.

Picture book production timelines are even greater when  foreign acquisition and translation play a role. Across the board, this book merited the time and effort involved. 

Knowing how lengthy the process is to take a picture book idea from origin to contract to full illustration and production, the 2023 release date indicates to me that some or most of this story emerged during the covid-lock-down years. At the very least, all creatives involved offer us a view through the gauze of a young imagination, or two. There's little we will miss about those years, other than beloved folks who were lost to the virus. One of the small things we can celebrate is the likelihood that more children rediscovered their imaginations during those imposed periods of isolation from intensely-scheduled lives.

This picture book feels like a capsule version of such a life, worth preserving and recovering.

The assertive narrator is fully self-possessed and also possessed of a vivid and expensive imagination. Her account of  the Hideaway of slender branches is revealed to readers in an authentic child voice that introduces her best adventurer friend (her brother with long legs that sometime disturb the structure but is worth the company). Nothing dramatic or explosive or heartbreaking occurs in this hideaway, unlike THE PERFECT SHELTER (reviewed HERE). I should clarify that nothing EXTERNAL of consequence happens. But this pair of adventurers find within the slender stems of their HIDEAWAY a world without walls. They travel with massive animals, play roles, recognize aspects of nature we too often ignore, and more. Across seasons, and in the course of a day, they exhaust the realms of their imaginations and instantly reboot with more to come. A bedtime return to the household is unavoidable, but the energy of imaginative spirits transforms their bedroom, too. Ultimately, even settling under covers suggests dreams filled with travel and discovery. 

The authentic voice of the narrator (kudos to both author and translator) is richly  enhanced by full spreads of fluid, visually-enticing elements, with colors and details that recapture attention at each rereading. Black line accents focus on the story line while shadows, white space figures, delicate swirls, and barely discernible lines suggest an ethereal quality in that borderland between nature and the surreal. 

Not enough can ever be said about the essential role of imagination in a child's life, but also in our collective futures. My current check says this title is on back order, so request it at your local library. If you enjoy it as much as I do, order one or more copies at your local indie-bookstore to gift to a child, school, or little free library. The invitation to imagination is worth sharing, and worth waiting for.

 

WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL (Not a Reference to Current Events)

I had the pleasure of working (virtually) with the author of this book while we shared responsibilities on a nonfiction CYBILS AWARDS panel. I enjoyed her thorough readings and comments, her balanced discussions and considerations of nominees, and her strong science background. That makes recommending this new nonfiction picture book a special pleasure. I would have endorsed it and encouraged readers to give it try if I had never met Shruthi, but now I can also feel an association with her success, although the credit for its excellence is all hers. And today is her new book's BIRTHDAY! Read on and join me in celebrating!

Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025

The opening lines of WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL: How S. Chandrasekar Predicted the Existence of Black Holes won me over immediately. They come before the title page and that is a design/editorial decision I fully endorse:

"When scientists get things right, 

Science leaps forward.

When they get things wrong, 

they learn from their mistakes,

and science still marches forward.

But sometimes, 

even when scientists get it right,

nobody pays attention.

Then, 

for a while,

science stands still."

Think about that. It certainly made me pause to think. And that 'think time" prior to reading really mattered to me. This new picture book, written by Shruthi Rao and illustrated by Srinidhi Srinivasan, reveals what is to me a heartbreaking astrophysics story. (Does that description also make you think? Heartbreaking and astrophysics in the same sentence?) There are plenty of heartbreaking stories of brilliance in sciences, math, the arts, etc. in which individuals and their discoveries or talents are overlooked or actively suppressed for a variety of reasons. Most of those reasons have to do with pride, power, prejudice, or pettiness of the general public or a specifically related access-group. 

I am a fan of both the illustrations and the fluid narrative text for this new story. The cover and the first pages reveal that this was a child, then a growing boy, who sought answers in math and science. He pondered the pages of adult texts in his grandfather's library and then pondered the night skies above the beaches at Madras, India. Weaving together hours of reading, puzzling, and imagining with confirmed facts of science, he arrived at a depth of understanding of how gases work inside stars. Eventually, while still very young, he combined equations and physics and insights to realize that dying stars could implode into black holes, something never yet known to exist.

Born in 1910, this conclusion came into his fertile mind at the age of eighteen. Science had no thoughts of such an entity, although today you could pose the question in many kindergartens:  "What is a black hole?" Most if not all of those littles would give a response that echoes Chandra's breakthrough theory.  At the time, though, this seemed a wild idea pulled from the dark, literally. Even so, his rationale and coherent theory about the nature and physics of stars won high praise among India's esteemed scientists.

The story reveals that this young, well-schooled, already accomplished Indian man longed to pursue further study and credibility in England, in part to prove his worth to those whose government had colonized, dominated, and too often dehumanized the people of India. With strong credentials, including multiple published astrophysics papers, he was given a scholarship from his home country and traveled to England.

Is anyone else guessing that his welcome and acceptance may not have been warm and approving? That was my prediction, but I was pleased to see that a prestigious professor praised and encouraged him, even sponsoring him at an academic gathering to present his paper. Here's where my age and experience had me feeling cautious, that things might not go well. The heartbreak comes with the strong negative reactions from that event, which I'll let you read for yourselves. 

Suffice it to say, it did not go well and the reasons behind it were potentially intentional. Possibly sinister, although that is uncertain. That response did, however, lead to Chandrasekhar eventually moving his studies to the United States, where he gained education, success, even fame for various accomplishments in his field. But not on this topic of Black Holes. What that early rejection did was to SHUT DOWN peer acceptance for his theory. His enthusiasm and solid data for his arguments could not get traction, leaving the concept of Black Holes in an academic black hole for decades. As the text so effectively and concisely states:

"Chandra moved on. But the science of stars stood still."

Eventually, other advances in science, including technology and computers, returned Chandra to this topic in collaboration with scientists from other fields. Advanced telescopes eventually revealed the first view of an actual BLACK HOLE, more than fifty years after he first argued for the concept with math and science to back him up. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in astrophysics. As much as this was a huge honor, he reported that his greatest thrill was having science finally acknowledge the truth of the science of stars. Illustration on the concluding pages offers a callback to the little boy still at the heart of a stargazing man, a personification of  the brilliance of stars. 

Back matter provides a thorough profile of Chandra's life, accomplishments, and intervening events. A timeline of the science related to this topic offers valuable sequential insights. Alongside are short passages relating the science of bombs with the science of black holes, some "Trivia" related to the subject, and resources. 

My heartbreak isn't that this took time (science does) or that a career was crushed (it wasn't) or that generations of students and scientists were denied access to studying this material earlier in their careers (they were). All of those realities are true, not only for this topic but for many others.  None of that is right or good, but is part of the reality within academia.  (SUBJECT TO FUTURE CHANGE, I HOPE?) 

My heartbreak is for that little boy who wanted to understand, who  was convinced answers existed, who found and argued for the truths of his theory, but was denied a legitimate audience for his thoughts. It's the SHUTDOWN of free discussion and consideration of ideas that is both emotionally sad and intellectually infuriating. This is also why this book is so important. 

Not only is this a celebration of a brilliant life. Not only is it an account of the long journey from initial theories to final proving and acceptance. It is a cautionary tale about ways in which truth can be suppressed, but assurance that truth can and will find its way to the light. Even in a black hole of denial. My recommendation to read this and share it could not be stronger. 

On a personal note:

I  share my own insights and values within these posts. I try to do so with openness and awareness that not all may agree with me, but I avoid political or direct conflict discussions. Even so, this book left me with some unavoidable contemporary connections that I feel compelled to share.

Today's news is filled with mixed beliefs, reactions, decrees, and distress, especially regarding the validity or reliability of confirmed science. That struggle is real, becoming more widespread, and makes this new book even more compelling. In a sense, the remarkable account of events in this nonfiction picture book left me with even greater concern about those who today deny proven science based on the claims of others. They might find justification in this approach at overturning proven science, thinking that the contrarian claims will one day be proven to be true, The difference, though, is that disputes with current issues (cause/effect of various conditions, effectiveness and necessity for vaccines, and even the reality of accelerated climate change through human actions) are not discoveries or investigations, math or science realities that reveal new facts. Or even science-based theories. They are, as most grounded thinkers affirm, simply claims. Many have been fully debunked through standard science evaluation. Many may be shaped by the same issues Chandra's work faced-- jealousy, power, even potentially sinister self-serving. None of this is mentioned or even implied in the book, but  such things floated through my mind during and after reading. That title, revealing how SCIENCE can stand still, is chilling. To some degree, the disruption of proven science threatens to make past progress and stability stand still, or worse. I hope you'll read this new book, and also reflect on the intent and background of those who are actively undermining science for their own purposes.

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, Shruthi! 
Readers, watch for an interview with Shruthi in a post coming soon!

What ONE CAN BE... Take a Look

 Some, (actually, quite a few) picture book authors reliably create books that quickly become not only successful but special. Pat Z Miller is one such author, one I'm privileged to call my writing friend. Click on her name and to see many examples of her books: most fictional, some non-fiction, in prose and rhymes, for youngest audiences and for school age. In case the author's name doesn't ring a bell, think of NYT Bestseller BE KIND, or SOPHIE'S SQUASH, or WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE. The point I'm making is that this is a writer who takes tremendous care in turning good ideas and clever concepts into timeless books. 

Writing about kids who are alone, being ONE, is not unusual. Many of the picture books with that theme take one of several approaches. Some work to distinguish being alone from being lonely. Others pursue stories of kids who are alone but long to engage with others, exploring ways to take such steps into a wider community. Some celebrate the vast world that can exist within an individual mind and heart. 

BEAMING BOOKS, 2025

ONE CAN BE, written by Pat Z. Miller and illustrated by Annie Cron, takes a familiar premise and expands its potential into a story with multiple layers and depths. This is a charmingly multi-diminsional approach to a child who finds comfort and joy in being alone with her books and other creative outlets, including her dog, plants, etc. She recognizes, though, that there can be fun and purpose in joining forces with others. In her case she is neighbor to a vibrant outdoor park, and she notes the fun being had there. She also notes the lack of books there. Joining in community shouldn't require leaving behind the things you love while on your own, right? 

In several spreads she channels her creativity to design and attempt to build a little free library. Ideas and effort abound, but this "one" realizes that friendships can offer company and collaboration. The design and building process she instigates had whispers, to a degree, of Miller's A GIRL CAN BUILD  ANYTHING (great to pair these titles). As the park folks interact with "one", other things build as well, on all fronts: friendships, love of reading, pet connections. 

Nothing is compromised or sacrificed or challenged. This ONE title, with its ONE central character, its ONE park, and its ONE idea allowed to blossom into many petals, is a remarkable accomplishment of text (fewer than 100 words, perfectly selected and paced) with subtle and gentle art that allows for added storytelling through visual detail, page placement, and design. 

In terms of text, Miller has cleverly used a very formal, almost distancing phrase (Think BCC period dramas), as in "One can breathe." "One can think." What prevents this from being a stuffy, off-putting turn of phrase is the opening page text that clarifies through punctuation, line breaks, and phrasing, who ONE is. It invites readers to recognize that ONE is this young girl. Or ONE just might be the reader themselves.

"One.

Alone.

No one else nearby."

And these simple opening lines, typed on this bare page, could almost read as ominous (Cue the dramatic music.) Instead, though, the soft-edged, pastel, warmly-detailed illustration elements reveal an almost dreamy state of bliss. Speaking as someone who often seeks refuge in isolation and reading books, this ONE's tree refuge is one I'd love to have and inhabit.

ONE CAN BE deserves more than one reading! The release date is in September. I always hesitate to feature a book before release, since those I've managed to persuade to read will need to wait. Yet this is a great example of why advance reviews are helpful. This can be preordered now, or requested at your local library and/or indie bookstore. Those generate data to the publisher to assure adequate first printing, perhaps even increasing the first print run. Those of us who love books as pieces of art and literature HATE thinking of all this as a business, but it is, indeed. So if my comments on the book resonate with you or someone you love, consider placing those advance requests and trust me that you won't be disappointed when you're time arrives to hold your copy and read for yourselves.

I was thrilled that Pat had an advance copy for me to read fort this review. Another reason I prefer to wait until actual publication is to experience the physical book, not a PDF or digital version. The tactile quality of the book is an experience in itself, and all are not equal. In this case, despite it being a soft-bound uncorrected proof, I was not surprised that the high standards of BEAMING BOOKS  meant the book itself is a joyful experience. Colors, finishes, and text placement all create a welcoming, almost melodic journey through this sharing and growth experience. 

INTERVIEW with Author JOYCE UGLOW: STUCK!

 STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits,  written by Joyce P. Uglow and illustrated by Valerya Milovanova. Bushel and Peck Books, 2025

Full disclosure: Joyce Uglow and I have known each other for many years through our work  in SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and WSRA (Wisconsin State Reading Association). In the past several years we’ve been picture book critique partners along with several other outstanding writers from Wisconsin. Along the way I’ve seen many versions and revisions of STUCK!. During those years I’ve had an up-close view of Joyce's deep research, intense revisions, and eventual success with this manuscript. This new picture book captures the best of her superb inspiration, writing, and revision.

BONUS NEWS: Anyone who will be in the Los Angeles area on March 22, noon to 4:00 PM,  can hear Joyce in her live presentation at the La Brea GIRLS IN STEM event. Joyce will talk about her book, read it, lead activities, and provide a discussion guide. If this works for you, don't miss it! Now, on to the promised interview...

I’m honored that Joyce Uglow, author of STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits, agreed to spend time on this interview. If you missed it, my review of the book, on March 4, the official BOOK BIRTHDAY, can be read HERE.

SB:  Welcome, Joyce, and congratulations on this terrific picture book. I know you’ve dreamed of this for many years. Was there anything about the actual debut and celebrations that affected or surprised you most?

JPU: I am grateful for your kind words and for providing me the opportunity to share my thoughts about this special time in my writing career.  Moreover, I am humbled by the love shared by the writing community for STUCK! It’s been fun at every turn during the years from idea to acquisition to publication day. I have a Smilodon fatalis (Saber toothed cat) hat/mask that I wore when signing ARCs at the American Library Association (ALA) conference in San Diego. SURPRISE! Now that was a smile-o-don kind of day. When the box of author copies arrive, it’ll be another cartwheel-across-the-front-yard-celebration, for sure! 

California Saber-Tooth  (Smiledon)

SB:You need a video of that moment! There are loads of unboxing videos, but I've not yet seen an author cartwheeling!

In other recent interviews HERE and HERE you shared information and insights about the origins of this story and your interest in telling it. (Readers will  want to read those and share them with kids!) Since I know a bit about the many hours (and years) you’ve spent researching and revising this story, I also know the stress of deciding what can go in (to make the story stronger) and what needs to hit the cutting room floor. Would you share a few of the “leftover” things that you learned throughout the process that you anticipate sharing in other ways with audiences and readers?

JPU: I’m going to deep here… A large petroleum reservoir called the Salt Lake Oil Field is located below the surface a short distance to the north of Hancock Park in what is now Los Angeles. The oil was formed from marine plankton deposited in an ocean basin during the Miocene Epoch (5-25 million years ago). Over time, pressure converted the organisms into oil. Weak places, faults, and fissures in the Earth's crust allows the crude oil to seep up to the surface. Evaporation leaves the sticky “tar” or asphalt. 

 In January 2023, I attended an incredibly fascinating educator event “People and the Tar” at La Brea led by an anthropologist, Culture Bearer, Educator, American Indian Department, CSU Long Beach. I learned that the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples used the asphalt to seal their boats, drinking vases, and their roofs.  I’d like to share the land acknowledgement statement presented at the event. 

 “The County of Los Angeles recognizes that we occupy land originally and still inhabited and cared for by the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples. We honor and pay respect to their elders and descendants ─past, present, and emerging ─ as they continue their stewardship of these lands and waters.”

 

Naturally, a 40-page picture book cannot include everything about the ice age ecosystem of species lost. Here is one such tidbit. The he exhibits you see of an animal were not found all connected. Because of tectonic plate movement underground for thousands of years, the preserved animal bones broke, got scattered, and stuck to other fossils. The skeletal exhibits of the western horse, ancient camel, mastodon, sloth, short nosed bear, American lion, and others were pieced together from the fossils dug up from many different individuals. The fossils have stories to tell. 

                            Fossilized skeletal exhibit of a Dire wolf in the museum at La Brea 

SB: I'm in awe of the science skills involved in recovering each and every bit of that, then having the tools and expertise to reassemble an intact figure that seems to leap out of the display! Science at its best!

Now that this amazing book is available, I hope you are planning school and library visits. If so, what will you hope to share with young audiences, about this book and about bigger ideas: nature, wonder, and writing itself?

JPU: School, library, book festivals, and book shop visits are filling my calendar now. I myself am incredibly interested in the findings in the fossil records. Elementary aged kids are ripe for inquiry learning, too. It’s fun to search for answers, right? So, one of my school visit activities involves research. Using lyrical picture books such as STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits as mentor texts for poetic techniques in writing is another. I do love a good awe walk in and around trees, so that is in my plans too. I am eager to find out what schools would like to engage in as well. 

 

Asphalt bubble from the site

SB: What lucky kids they will be! How should interested adults go about contacting you to discuss potential visits?

JPU: There are downloadable flyers on my website, which is located at https://joyceuglowauthor.com Folks can contact me via email jpuglow@gmail.com New to me as of January 2025 is my Substack account where I post my thoughts about writing.  You can read this free newsletter at https://jpuglow.substack.com

SB: Which of the many other writing projects you have underway can you tell us about, or are they all still top secret? If so, can you hint at some intriguing research topics you might be exploring? 

JPU: Whenever I travel, I find new ideas to share with kids. So here are some hints: ocean and marine life, forest bathing and the legacy of trees, national parks and geology, artwork… Yup! I have many ideas in folders and some already underway. Of course, I would love to have a companion book for STUCK! 

If you are interested, Cynthia Mackey and I are hosting the STUCK BUMBLEBEE Poetry and Illustration Challenge. You can find all the details HERE.

SB:  As you anticipated these busy exciting days of debut book release, were there any questions you hoped would be asked that have not been? Go for it!

JPU: I’m turning the tables for this one. Here are some questions for your readers, Sandy.  

1.   

1.   My One Little Word for 2025 is ELEVATE. Readers, do you have a goal to read and review fellow creatives’ books? My goal is to read and review a minimum of four picture books per month. Most of the time I review on Goodreads. You can find me at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9178331-joyce-uglow

    2.    What can we create that will keep kids’ creativity and curiosity alive? 

   3.     How can we learn from our past to ensure we leave the planet a better place that we found it? Fossil records tell us to pay attention to climate change and the impact it is having on our planet. I don’t use plastic bags and plastic water bottles and plastic straws. 

    4.  One last question. Will you be so kind as to request that your library add STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits to their collection? 

SSB: Joyce, thank you so much for spending time on this, especially during these exciting, hectic days of celebration. I'm looking forward to news you post about appearances and visits as they unfold. Readers, you can follow along, too, with the links Joyce provided below.

 Join Joyce at the Writing Barn on March 8 (11:00 Central Time) It is a free online event.

And HERE on Birth Stories for Books  www.dawnprochovnic.com

And HERE. 

For now, learn more about Joyce Uglow  HERE.

STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits is officially launched today, and can be purchased at 
BUSHEL & PECK BOOKS, HERE

BOOKSHOP.org

AMAZON Books HERE

CITY UNDER THE CITY: Sharing the Secret!

 I'm a longtime fan of work by author/illustrator Dan Yaccario (whose books can be found if you click on his name, but I'll just mention THE LONGEST STORM, BOY + BOT, and EVERY FRIDAY.) Whether Yaccarino is illustrating stories for others or creating both text and visual narratives, he produces heartfelt and touching characters and relationships while eliciting smiles, even grins, unfolding stories in lively and even ludicrous scenes that feel somehow familiar and connected to our own lives. 

Mineditions (ASTRA BOOKS) 2022

CITY UNDER THE CITY,  written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, was released back in November, 2022. I was provided an examination copy from the publisher at that time with no promise of a review. My delay in writing about it (YIKES! Six months!) has been due to a variety of commitments and personal demands, not a lack of interest in this remarkable and exciting new graphic/picture book. This powerful little gem has been keeping me company at the top a revolving stack of other titles, many of which I shared here during those months. 

Now, finally, I'll shine a spotlight on it in the way that cover character BIX manages to enlighten her family and world to realities they have been conditioned to ignore. In its stack-shifting time near my laptop, I have reread this book multiple times and love it even more with each reading. I also discover distinct and important visual details each time, tiny twists in the minimalist/intricate blend of foreground and background, in minute shifts of expressions, in developing moments to dwell on, as when  BIX and the rat snuggle to sleep on a library shelf.

In this allegorical portrait of life today, BIX and family are residents of a society in which the EYES "help" each human to ...live? Every want or need is provided by a personal EYE, from transport, to feeding food, to directing activities, to channeling content into the ubiquitous lightbulb-like screens that occupy the sole attention of every person of any age. 

BIX hates life with the EYES. In her techno-digital society, BIX is ignored by the humans with whom she wants to play, is limited in what and how she reads, is isolated in a pod for instruction, all while the eyes WATCH. There is no place to escape their watching, until a little yellow rat leads BIX into a crack in the foundation of a building. That daring move leads drops them into a new/old "somewhere" that turns out to be a city under the city. There, real LIFE exists, although nnot people. Those intricate background images shift from digital-chip-circuitry to organic and unpredictable green-line life.

Thus begins part 2, having achieved part 1 of this complex story in very few pages and equally few words. The deeper they go, the more life appears, including mushrooms, greenery, and evidence of a prior city (and people) that functioned on its own human choices, not those of the EYES and screens and isolation bubbles. With freedom to choose, BIX learns about BOOKS, and finds that choices allow her to LOVE reading, not hate it. Music, art, history, sharing dining spaces, a FRIEND, and so much more make BIX wonder- where did the people go?

The tug of family love and longing lead BIX and her new friend back to the surface, bringing with them some of their discoveries to provide a highly dramatic conclusion in part 3 of this slim volume. There is great satisfaction in that resolution, but also ample opportunity to imagine what a part 4 or 5 might provide. Throughout all pages and parts the page turns are filled with surprises, including double gatefolds, in which the expansive urban landscape sprawls in variety and specificity, starkly contrasted to the uniformity and isolation of each life, even family lives, in the city ABOVE this city!

The story line and language are entirely inviting to even the youngest, perhaps especially to the youngest, who often see the world more clearly than we adults do. Despite that approach, the story as a whole and in discreet elements poses questions for older youth and even the oldest audiences. Moving from the obvious parallels of our wired world, there are so many subtle aspects to explore and discuss. Yes, we live with many all-seeing eyes, we have digital managers (smart appliances and cars?) that guide our purchases and practices. But ask yourselves, before you dismiss this as heavy handed nonsense, how dependent you may be on feeds you receive in any form of social media, the reminders you get about standing up or moving more, the reliance on your/our digital calendars to remember special occasions of loved ones and even suggest/arrange messages or gifts to send to them? How often have you mentioned something in casual conversation, perhaps about your insurance renewal coming due, then received links to various insurance options, even though you haven't actually keyed in a search? I refer to that all-hearing digital device at home as "The 'A' WORD", but my smart watch qualifies from such annoyance, too. An all-hearing EAR character is one that fits well with this entertaining and exciting story.

Please do NOT follow my example and wait six months to give it this your careful attention. Put your device down and get your hands on the physical book, then enjoy! After which, share it and have some remarkably deep conversations. One topic I'd like to chat about relates to the sign in a window in the under-city, VOTE. That minor detail made me wonder about whether the people in BIX's city have an option to or interest in voting?  When all choices are made for you, would you be conditioned to not even WANT to choose your leaders?  And speaking as  someone whose psychology classes all featured behavioral conditioning of rats, how ironic is it that it's a free-thinking, curious little rat who brings BIX the key to discovery and uncontrolled choices. Please give this book the close reading it deserves.

Does This Cutie Scare You? OGILVY!

Godwin Books
Henry Holt & Company
Macmillan, 2019

Meet OGILVY, a lovable and self-assured character who won my heart and will win yours, no doubt! OGILVY is written by talented author/rhymer Deborah Underwood and illustrated with the remarkable style and talent of T. L. McBeth.  It's tempting to refer to Ogilvy and those encountered as rabbits, but this story glories in leaving important things unnamed. In this case the author does refer to the community as bunnies, so, okay, let's go with that. In fact, though, it doesn't matter, because these newly encountered folks are very much doing things that bunnies don't do. 

Before addressing that, and the impressive skills providing the text and visual narrative,  the first and foremost gift of this book is the story. Ogilvy enters on the title page, head still not fully released from the neck of an actual striped sweater. It's Ogilvy's happy, hoppy first day in a new town. At the park our character finds plenty of bunnies busily drawing, knitting, climbing, and playing ball.

ALL of the bunnies wear knit clothing, some about knee-length (they call them dresses), while others wear hip-length knits they call sweaters. They demand to know exactly what it is that Ogilvy's wearing, a dress or a sweater. After all, it's mid-thigh,  risking the dire consequences of ambiguity.

Why? Because the dress-wearing bunnies always play ball and knit socks, but bunnies in sweaters make art and climb rocks. Why? Indeed. Ogilvy asks just that, and gets a not-so-surprising answer:

"That's just how it is."

Ogilvy, being a very clever bunny, decides what to enjoy each day and names the clothing chosen for the day to suit the "rules" and play as they wish. Those daily choices always look the same.  Lest a reader imagine that Ogilvy had no choice, a display of  knitwear hangs on Ogilvy's wall, each an identical knit garment. 

Of course, that clever bunny helps everyone realize how silly their "just because" rules were, right? Not that easily. This is where those bunnies take on an obviously MORE human-style behavior than wearing sweaters and dresses. They become ANGRY. They insist, DEMAND, that Ogilvy name clothing one thing or the other and stick with it. 

Ogilvy, not one for confrontation or fuss, made the hardest choice of all. Ogilvy speaks up with a question that was not "WHY?" Ogilvy asks if the bunnies wearing dresses wouldn't want to make art and climb walls? Wouldn't the sweater wearing bunnies enjoy playing ball and knitting? What difference does it actually make if you wear a sweater or a dress? Then Ogilvy NAMES that favorite garment- it is an OGILVY!

Because this is a well-written and story-structured picture book, we know that bunnies realize the foolishness of their rules, but a tense page turn near the end shows a new bunny  wearing some interesting headgear! Will that be a step too far, or will they welcome this new difference/change?

Here is a picture book that can be read as a simple story for the very youngest, or launch for discussion about peer pressure and how rules emerge and remain among elementary readers, and even launch complex debates and supporting arguments among adolescent groups as an analogy for current political and cultural wars. 

The text is delightful rhymed couplets that are as seamless and natural as bunny (kid) conversation can be, while the illustrations will charm the yarn off readers of every age. Settings with white or pastel backgrounds and the characters themselves are cartoon-like drawings with oversized expressive eyes and heavy-lined black edges. The bunnies are made delightfully human by sporting knitwear that is actually knitted. Fans of Jon Klassen's EXTRA YARN will especially adore the technique used, which is not explained within this book. I studied the images endlessly, trying to determine if what are clearly actual knitted garments were overlaid/photographed on the bunnies, or if these little items were made, then photographed and Photoshopped onto the drawings. A check on McBeth's website shared this from a HORN BOOK review:

The Horn Book Magazine - “Illustrations “made with graphite pencils, Adobe Photoshop, and sweaters,” whose bold lines and loose shadows give a classic feel to this fable with a modern message.”

 I couldn't have said that better, and HBM managed it in far fewer words than I would! Oh, how those subtle shadows provide dimension and grounding for this story! I also noted that OGILVY is a multiple award winner with many starred reviews. That was no surprise to me. What does surprise me, in fact appalls me, is that such a wonderfully crafted, entertaining, eye-catching picture book that celebrates acceptance, self-respect, speaking up, and so much more could well be among titles of books for children for which bans are sought. Why wouldn't it? Read my story summary above. There is even a single rear-view of Ogilvy choosing an item to wear from the wardrobe which reveals not a bunny tail but a bit of a bunny butt-crack. In fact, whether labeled as a dress or a sweater, not a single bunny throughout is wearing PANTS! 

If you think I'm exaggerating, check out a sampling of contested children's book on a PARTIAL list, HERE. This is compiled by the ALA (American Library Association) and includes:

• Carle, Eric. Draw Me a Star
• Geisel, Theodor Seuss. Hop on Pop: The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use
• Geisel, Theodor Seuss. If I Ran the Zoo
• Hanford, Martin. Where’s Waldo?
• Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic

I was thinking about the absurdity (and assault on Democracy and common sense) that this movement to restrict access to books represents. I heard about a counter-movement to purchase and add books from such lists to LITTLE FREE LIBRARY sites around the country, but especially in areas where this is being legislated and achieved. As noble as that effort might be, it is even more important to follow OGILVY's lead and SPEAK UP, SHOW UP at school board and municipal and library meetings. To challenge the loudest of voices with the deepest of reason. To read aloud books like these in public spaces and remind other members of the community that their voices are necessary, vital, life-changing. To pose this same question: WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

Returning to the tag question in the title... Does this little cutie scare you? If you click on OGILVY you can open the book and turn the pages to see for yourself. If you agree that this picture book offers limitless benefits from entertainment to eye-appeal to thought-provoking discussions, it's time to redefine what scares us as adults, and speak up for the freedom to read and choose for ourselves and our own families, but not for cultural constraints on those beyond our own families.

What do you think?

More Wonderful CYBILS AWARDS Nonfiction Titles- Biographies and Profiles

One of the greatest challenges of serving as a Round One panelist for Cybils Awards is that there are SO MANY terrific titles with SO FEW slots available to list as finalists. Balancing that struggle is the blessing of being able to read quite a few wonderful titles that I somehow missed in the course of the publishing year. As public bloggers/reviewers, we panelists have the lovely bonus of using our platforms to feature and celebrate favorite titles whether they made the finalist cut or not, and without a deadline! This post is the first of several that will offer you short features about some I especially enjoyed, and believe you will, too. This post focuses on picture books that are biographies or profiles of women, ones you may or may not already THINK you know.

Little Bigfoot, 2022

First up is  LIBRARY GIRL:How Nancy Pearl Became America's Most Celebrated Librarian, written by Karen Henry Clark and illustrated by Sheryl Murray. Here's what I had to say about it on my Goodreads account.

"Adults who read (sadly, some don't) will certainly recognize the name of Nancy Pearl, perhaps the best known librarian in America. This is a genuinely touching account of how her early years were somewhat unhappy, how she came to feel at home and supported within her library. It is effective and interesting to be able to imagine her as a tentative and "out of place" child who grew to not only find a career, but find herself and her confidence within that career!"

Clarion Books, 2022

A PERFECT FIT: How Lena Bryant Changed the Shape of Fashion is next, written by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by the amazing Juana Martinez- Neal. My notes about this fantastic offering (which DID make the finalist list in the elementary category) is here:

"Crisp and  entertaining text combine with illustrator Martinez-Neal's trademark fluidity and grace to develop a portrait of a determined, creative, talented woman who never forgot her father's message- to make the world a better place for others. Her tools were her scissors, sewing machine, fabrics and ribbons, all used in service of making women of any size or shape feel wonderful in their clothing. 

Who knew that the iconic "Lane Bryant" clothing line had such an inspiring background? I certainly didn't, and I am grateful to have learned it in such an appealing format. I look forward to sharing this with readers of many ages, including older ones who envision a career in design. 

Lena's father's advice will serve them well in their careers."

Beachlane Books, 2022

And here's another title that provides an introduction to a young woman whose decisions and life choices merit our attention, It is also a story with "hooks" related to sports, fashion, gender restrictions, overcoming disabling health challenges, and more. Here are my Goodreads comments on ANNETTE FEELS FREE: The True Story of Annette Kellerman, World-Class Swimmer, Fashion Pioneer, and Real-Life Mermaid, written/illustrated by Katie Mazieka. 

"This seemingly simple picture book bio of a record-breaking female swimmer from Australia is far more than that. Australia's Annette Kellerman lived her youngest years as a lively, exuberant girl whose love of ballet and performance led to dreams of a stage life. When an unknown paralyzing infection left her with weakened legs and wearing braces that imprisoned her dreams, her spirit faded. Her father's brilliant idea to help her learn to swim restored Annette's freedom, leading eventually to a fully restored body and dreams she could never have imagined, with a watery stage on which to express herself and gain the acclaim she welcomed. 

I tagged this as a story in a story because her life was notable, too, (as the subtitle indicates) for breaking gender barriers beyond the athletic world. The fact that multiple heavy layers of clothing were demanded for women swimmers, (even in competition against MEN!), chafed at Annette's sense of justice and equity. She designed and created a modest, swimmable garment, but one that shocked society of that time. It took a ruling by the courts to allow her to wear it in competitions and later in general when swimming, but requirements were placed that she must be covered/robed on land, not dropping her coverings until stepping into the water. Her fashion pioneering led to other girls and women adopting the style and all eventually ignoring the demands for 'land" coverings.

Readers will find  joy, persistence, imagination, unbounded goal-setting, emotional arcs, and family strengths in this beautifully illustrated new picture book.

I highly recommend all three titles, and assure readers of any age that they will learn fascinating information about women with whom they may or may not have been acquainted before cracking the covers of these terrific picture books. Dive in, folks, and share them with others.

BORN ON THE WATER: The 1619 Project in Picture Book

 Take a close look at this breathtaking cover. 

KOKILA: Penguin Random House Imprint, 2021

BORN ON THE WATER; The 1619 Project is a visual work of art with text that's  a masterful work of heart. It's a new picture book that merits everyone's close attention, co-written by Nicole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson, with illustrations by Nikkolas Smith that are equally evocative and emotive. This youthful perspective on four centuries of history is a deeply personal and powerful account for readers of any age. 

Brilliantly, the co-authors launch with these words that will sound familiar to most parents of school age children:

"My teacher gives us an assignment, 'Who are you?' she asks. 'Trace your roots. Draw a flag that represents your ancestral land.' "

In this first of a series of free-verse poetry page-turns, the  first-person narrator/student feels ashamed. Her roots are unknown to her, her ancestral history feels confusing and unknown, shackled to an enslaved origin story..

When Grandma gathers her family close to share their beginnings, I felt as if I were sitting at her knee, invited to share in the story and the glory of a too-little-known past. Contradicting the common expression that African American ancestors were "born on the water", Grandma describes their true home, a place, a land. Before they were sold.

"A home, a place, a land, a beginning."

Spread after spread captures scenes of ancestral lives on a fertile high plateau in west Africa, portraying people with talent, trades, love, languages, craftsmen and music makers, all with a capacity to turn surrounding nature into an complex and collaborative civilization. Lives and faces engage joyfully and in ways that feel familiar to any family's life. The authors' and illustrator's notes in back pages reinforce the sense of individuality and beauty and connection of those ancestors. 

There are realistic accounts of being kidnapped, marched, loaded aboard the first slave ship to North America, heartbreaking details and emotional visuals included. In many ways the horror and heartbreak are conveyed as much by the losses experienced as by the imposed enslavement: a doll left behind, separations with no hugs goodbye, no whispered encouragements, no capacity to understand what their destiny would be. Somewhere along that journey, those who survived (barely half of the original prisoners) realized that they, the survivors, were now a People together, a new community. 

Facts unfold about that first slave ship, THE WHITE LION, about the first Black child born as the son of slaves on North American soil, William Tucker, the first Black American, about four hundred years of resistance in large ways and small. The refrain rings true: 

"OURS IS NO IMMIGRANT STORY."

Theirs is a story of survival. Of brilliance. Of memories, prayers, and hope. Theirs is story that keep eyes on the future, a future of brilliant innovators and contributors to the land they built. Theirs is a full and rightful claim to being AMERICAN from the start, centuries before "we" became a country. A country that defined itself as white.

And the young narrator begins her assignment with red, white, and blue crayons to draw the flag of her country, born on the water.

If you are confused by the phrase CRITICAL RACE THEORY, please be clear. Books as wonderful as this could be banned in schools even though they have nothing to do with that advanced academic discussion. This is a glorious but age-appropriate story of ancestral identity and pride. This story reveals to children of EVERY color and identity why BLACK LIVES MATTER. Please read it. Please share it. Please speak up when others suggest that this story should not be available to every child, in every school and library. And ask yourselves why THIS story is considered threatening to our culture when historic accounts of unjust treatment of white-immigrants-by-choice in our history (Irish, Polish, Italian) who suffered discrimination and hate are written into the narrative. Please don't turn away or look away, or allow young readers to be denied an opportunity to read and understand their shared past.