Sad News About CYBILS AWARDS

This final week in August is when the ANNUAL CYBILS AWARDS usually posted that nominations were opening for all categories. I'm saddened to report that my long-time service with the literacy leaders and book-boosters at CYBILS has ended. That's because the dedicated  VOLUNTEER board and organizers had to make a heartbreaking choice to pull the plug on their annual award program. 

This began as, and continued as, a book-bloggers' award. Their mission to encourage only the best in all books for youth championed award-deserving titles in every genre and for every reader under twenty. 

I found CYBILS while reading posts about nominees, exploring their lists, and anxiously awaiting word of the finalists and winners in each category, even in types of books I rarely read. 

Then, I worked up my nerve and volunteered to serve on an award panel. I was accepted. Across the years I took part in reading and evaluating picture books, nonfiction works for all ages, poetry, and early books (board books, chapter books, and beginning readers). I even served as a committee chair. During those annual evaluations I worked with incredible individuals and those amazing folks behind the scenes who organized and sustained an extremely complex process. And they did so with patience, grace, and enthusiasm.

I'll be forever grateful for these experiences, for the exposure to so many outstanding books and their creators, and to the CYBILS group for originating and sustaining the program for so many years. For now, the website continues in operation and includes book lists from the past. I highly recommend this as a source for great titles for readers of any and every interest. 

Take a look here: https://www.cybils.com/

Thank you, CYBILS Board and longtime volunteers. You made a difference in so many lives.

BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US: Fort Sill, Oklahoma

 It's hard to have to admit that this is a nonfiction look at a real place, FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA.

Even harder to admit that a country that erred horribly in turning this place into a concentration camp of American Japanese over half a century ago, a country that acknowledged and attempted to make compensatory payments, would now, as you read this, be using the same facility in a similar way. 

Hardest of all is acknowledging that these choices arose out of fear. 

Red Comet Press, 2026

Not the fear by those wrongly contained, but from a population whose fears were enflamed politically and without validity.

BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US is written by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion. The cover image implies both the similarity and contrast between the original use during WWI and the use now as a detention center for those accused of illegal immigration or violation of immigration laws for simply being "not us".

The remarkable technique uses a pattern similar to a REVERSO POEM. In this case, the book provides haunting and revealing images on each page along with brief text, a line or two that adds to the story of the lives so severely impacted during these fateful times. The first half of the book provides a color-shift at midpoint but continues the story with new characters. Once the pages end, readers are invited to begin again, reading back to front. The language and experiences now become eerily distinct but painfully mirror the original imprisonment experience. 

In both cases the incarcerations involved fear of "OTHERS", using a wartime-threat premise that could never really be justified. Both feature young residents, some suffering separation from trusted adults, and the powerful, painful contrast between hope and reality. 

Backmatter addresses the facts as well as offering a brief note about REVERSO poetry. What is not mentioned, which felt especially painful to me, is that this forward/backward reading cycle is, to a degree, like a mobius strip in which there really is no end. One small twist makes that happen, but once in place it becomes inevitable. Our earlier history was shameful enough, but to see that it is repeating is beyond shameful. The thought that this will continue to occur in the future with new "others" is appalling. And yet, we can no longer doubt  or deny it is happening. 

PLEASE, read this, share it, and then join me in finding ways to end this current chapter of our countries errors and prevent it from happening again. I have no answers as to HOW. A great start is to simply raise awareness of the horror of today's practices. This book is elegantly powerful in doing just that.

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS JUDY THE GREAT: A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume

CHRISTY OTTAVIANO BOOKS, 20026

 There are countless authors of books for kids, picture books and otherwise, that adults are unaware of. parents and others may recognize the titles of some classics (GOODNIGHT MOON comes to mind, or BROWN BEAR BROWN BEAR), but relatively few adult readers of these books could recall their authors' names. 

But mention the name JUDY BLUME and the percentage of adult recognition skyrockets. Many of those "lightbulb" recognizers will rattle off one or more of Blume's titles that really mattered: to themselves, to their kids, and even to current generations.

Sadly, JUDY BLUME was not yet writing books when i was looking for strories  as a kid. In fact, she was growing up, as I was, in a world that did not offer kids much in the way of current interesting releases. Even Beverly Cleary was barely getting started. 

That, in fact, is partly why she grew up to WRITE books that reflected REAL kids, REAL concerns, and stories that felt like readers' REAL lives. The good news is that those JUDY BLUME books were coming out while I taught reading and literacy with students across many ages. They and I came to know and love her titles. 

NONE of her books were picture books, although she did expand her portfolio to write young adult/teen titles and novels for adult readers.I'm excited to share a picture book poetry biography of JUDY BLUME now, since April is poetry month, and every day is JUDY BLUME Respect Day! (I made that last one up!)

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS JUDY THE GREAT: A POETIC ODE TO JUDY BLUME is written and illustrated by Selina Alko. The award-winning author-illustrator uses a series of poems in different forms to reveal Judy's life, focusing strongly on her early years and family life. Readers find that Judy's close knit family provided safety and security, but it also led her to trying to do things right and BE a good girl,  LITTLE. MISS. PERFECT. Her brother's frequent pranks and boundary-pushing made Judy's self-imposed pressure even greater.

The mid-century life she led is presented on the page with mid-toned, colorful art, offering a sense of warmth and happiness. The illustrations also include collage-effect, scrap-book-style sections of text passages, assembled symbols of her life, and detailed items related to underlying concerns Judy felt as a child. Her "bargaining with God" to achieve a longed-for adventurous life, to help her brother recover from illness, or even to end the war (WORLD WAR II) came back in ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET. Each poem reveals not only Judy's complex growth and imagination, but also the issues that she later explored in her novels for young readers. 

Many of the poems are titled to convey reminders of specific books she wrote as a mother of two (a boy and a girl). These were stories she wished for in her now childhood, ones she saw her children longing to read. The books she wrote allowed young readers to navigate their own lives, to pursue and contemplate truths. A Judy Blume timeline clarifies content from the poems, paired with a few family photos. Selina Alko's extensive note in back matter reveals the extensive research she did into an author she loved. She lists multiple connections with Judy: being Jewish, loving ALICE IN WONDERLAND and NANCY DREW books, and seeking answers to questions that life presented. Judy's books are frequently listed as BANNED, and Judy continues to work against censorship. 

There are individual poems that can spark lively conversation, but taken as a whole this is biographic journey through the young experiences that fueled an American author everyone should know. The references and further readings in back matter are a great resource, but a doubt they capture and convey JUDY as well as this picture book does. 

Haiku Magic.... A POND, A POET, AND THREE PESTS

 In the prior post I pointed out that April is POETRY MONTH, featuring a book that included HAIKU. I've reviewed and praised Haiku collections for young readers in past posts, HERE, HERE, and  HERE.The form originates in Japan, which requires translation for those of us who don't speak Japanese. (That would be many of us, no doubt). The word meanings and syllable counts may change with translation, but the essence of HAIKU captures a moment in time, an emotion or observation of nature, a sense of our place in relation to the natural world. The three-line syllable count matters, but not more so than the essence of the thought. There are other renowned haiku poets from around the world, including from the USA. BASHO was perhaps the best known haiku poet, a journeying man who chose a life of humble means and deep reflection. 

GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2025   

A POND, A POET, AND THREE PESTS is written by Caroline Anderson and illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. This nearly mystical, dreamlike tale suggests an evening respite for BASHO, resting at a small pond. The three pests are pond residents who each recognize BASHO and hope to gain his attentions, to perhaps achieve fame by becoming the subject of one of his poems.

First, the golden carp flashes his sparkling scales, but goes unnoticed. Then the water lily wafts its most appealing fragrance, but also is unnoticed. Mosquito, though, is well aware of the effects of a droning buzz near the ear. Even that does not get a reaction from BASHO.

When a frog leaps into the pond, BASHO wakens, composing one of his most highly regarded poems... about the frog. No attempts at fame and attention succeeded, but simply following its nature earned frog fame in a globally-recited poem. How much we could all learn from that frog. And from those fame-seeking "pests" whose gifts and traits were overlooked by trying too hard for attention rather than for seeking joy in being their true selves. 

The narrative text to share this proverb-like tale is as minimal and resonate as a poem, which suits the story perfectly. The illustrations are evocative of Japanese ink scrolls combined with the lush and luminous colors of silks. Images seem to glow or ripple as your eyes shift from page to page while lines suggest ink-brushed lines and calligraphy. BASHU's Buddha-like image reveals his pilgrim/traveler persona and allows him to blend into the nature he deeply respects and purposefully seeks.  

BASHU and ISSA are two of the most well-known Haiku poets, and their collections have been the subjects of doctoral studies and scholarly tomes. They are also featured in books for young readers, in which the careful selection of poems combine with enhancing illustrations to make writing haiku an appealing project for many young folks and adults alike. COOL MELONS TURN TO FROGS is one such picture book that features poems by ISSA. I hope you'll seek out this recent BASHO book and the much earlier ISSA book. Both will take you into a world that may offer you respite from screens and fame-seekers, while deepening your own awareness of the natural world at our fingertips. 

Welcome SPRING, Seasons, and POETRY MONTH

 A collection of poems by a single author is a rare accomplishment in the current publishing world. Those with a golden track record (Nikki Grimes, Nikki Giovanni, Shel Silverstein, etc.) are worthy of such an investment and their works become well-worn classics. Otherwise, poetry for children tends toward anthologies by multiple authors, present and past. In the case of POEMS FOR EVERY SEASON, the work was originally published in the Netherlands and then brought to the US market with the addition of a skilled translator. 

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2024/2026

POEMS FOR EVERY SEASON; A YEAR OF HAIKU, SONNETS, and MORE 
offers text by Bette Westera and illustrations by Henriette Boerendans, with translations by David Colmer. This creative team has produced a seamless whole. The collection provides a wealth of poems, each lovely as a stand-alone. But there are many other benefits to the arrangement of poems in this subtle and sensory picture book, including that each poem is labeled with its poetic form. Back matter develops further understanding of the patterns and encourages attempts by readers. As the title suggests, the collection features the four seasons, launching with SPRING. A gentle haiku introduces each season, followed by  poems revealing scenes and emotions of that particular season. 

Illustrations feature the talented woodcut art and textured coloration that suit each poem and each season. The full conceptual organization is bracketed with endpapers of migrating geese, markers of annual changes across many regions and climates. The animals featured, and some of the poetic forms, will be familiar across many ages. Structures like the  SONNET, often considered challenging and/or off-putting, become pleasing and evocative when describing lambs in spring. Any time a translator is trusted with lyrical text, the bar is especially high: to sustain the original meaning while adjusting for differences in syllable counts, rhythm, rhyme, etc. The English versions of the poems read naturally and appealingly. 

This picture book will reach the hearts and minds of young people and offer a rich read-aloud by adults. The poems and structures provide mentor text for older aspiring writers, and inspiration for anyone aiming to create works that offer lyrical insights across many layers of appeal. It is a timely offering as we savor SPRING, and APRIL is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH. (<<< Click to find an easy link for a free POETRY MONTH poster!)

MEET Edward Lear, Childhood's Hero: THE BOY WHO BECAME A PARROT

I recently browsed the shelves in an artist-coop, recognizing with a smile some rescued, REALLY OLD books on one shelf. Books with musty, frayed, cloth coverings that barely contained their cracked bindings. They were both fragile and enduring. Most were books for young people, many from various series you'd recognize. Their condition reminded me of one that I  checked out of the library more than a dozen times. 

As a young reader, my libraries were nothing like ones seen today. The children's section was barely more than a wall or two of spine-out, unjacketed titles, books that circulated on and off shelves for lack of alternatives. Options in my childhood were limited and the same was true in my classroom. (Until high school, I knew no such thing as a school library.) 

ENCHANTED LION BOOKS
2025

I read voraciously among the limited library offerings, expanding my targets beyond books and magazines and newspapers at home. Among the few titles on a single shelf of children's poetry (mostly nursery rhymes, anthologies of classics, or Robert Louis Stevenson) I read the title: Edward Lear's A  BOOK OF NONSENSE. This was in the 1950s, more than  a hundred years after Lear first published this collection of limericks and slightly bizarre line drawings. 

(The original version was published under a pen name in 1846, since LEAR was already a highly respected nature artist at that time.)

One of many further reissues of Lear's public domain works incorporate original drawings and his best known poems, while others are labeled as fully comprehensive collections of his original works and further poems published after his wide success with the first release. 

Let me just say that I've never outgrown my love for LEAR and his kid-friendly capturing of the sounds and images kids adore.I featured that feeling in a post some years back, HERE, and I often compare new creations to this early standard when elements of word-play, humor, silliness, and imagery, accessing vivid and  deeply-rooted memories.

It won't surprise you that I was intrigued and excited to read a 2025 release, a comprehensive picture book biography of Edward Lear that promised insights far beyond that memorable book. THE BOY WHO BECAME A PARROT: A FOOLISH BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD LEAR WHO INVENTED NONSENSE is written by Wolverton Hill and illustrated by Laura Carlin. In this oversized and expanded length presentation, the illustrator has channeled Lear's style as well as incorporating selected original art by Lear throughout (all credited/cited in back matter). The text is approachable and reveal Lear's childhood within his time and conditions, which led to surprising opportunities to read, observe nature, and learn to draw and paint. The account of his early life includes his epilepsy (with no treatment at the time), a condition he called his Demon, reappearing throughout his life. 

His word play, scribbly-giggly line drawings, storytelling, and poetry writing that marked his entire life emerged early to entertain other children. That liveliness and lightness of spirit never faded. Many have credited him with advancing Lewis Carroll's fanciful nonsense into broader literature. While still a child he honed his artistic skills in reproducing wildlife, with talents that earned comparison to Audubon.

This thorough account reveals a complex boy who drew at the then-private London Zoo, reporting conversations he had with the blue and yellow macaw he portrayed. He developed sympathy for the caged creatures, not unlike his own experience with losing his home and fleeing his Demon. In his imagination, the macaw flew free. Lear drew himself doing the same. He soon learned that his early success among wealthy and formal society left him uncomfortable, but time spent with children was freeing and filled with silliness. These approaches later led to effective social satire within his work.

In a world that now embraces silliness (bordering on the absurd, in some cases), a world in which limericks are recognized (even in other languages), Edward Lear could rightly claim to be the rock upon which lively children's literature was founded. 

Both the author and illustrator have rendered Lear's long-gone life with loving care and lively respect for his brilliance. Back matter provides a detailed timeline of his long life and the surprising landmarks that are referenced in lyrical text throughout the telling of his tail. Lear's influence on many notable authors and artists who followed is shared, and the names are impressive. Even so, the greatest credit to this remarkable man is his impact on nameless young readers, across centuries. His legacy is wider than I realized, expanding across many horizons. Even so, his lasting impact is on young people who found him, in his own time and in all the decades that followed.

And still do. 

I hope you'll read this and learn more about his journey to that legacy.

BLACK DIAMOND KINGS: Poetry on the Pitch

 It's only mid-January. Football season hasn't fully wrapped up yet, basketball is in early stages, and winter Olympics are in the spotlight. Even so, I'm calling out my own eagerness for days when SPRING TRAINING has begun. I don't think I'm alone. 

Baseball season allows fans to "get to know" their favorite players, day after day, month after month. Games last long. Some see that as a problem, but I like the time it allows to let both games and personalities unfold. That was even more true when baseball began, teams were locally claimed by their communities, and low payrolls meant players were part of those communities. That's the era in which not everything was rosy. In fact, it "normalized" many evils, including segregation, the Negro League, and countless injustices. 

That era did allow Black communities and players to know each other intimately, but it prevented the wider community from realizing the talent, the brilliance that was being denied a well-deserved stage. 

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2025

BLACK DIAMONDS KINGS, written by Charles R Smith Jr. and illustrated by Adrian Brandon. Both creators are kings in their own realms: Smith for poems celebrating Black excellence in sports and Brandon in painting and printmaking to reveal a sprawling landscape of Black life not typically portrayed. Just as Black History Month (February) is not meant to limit the attention we give to the stories and individuals who contributed to our shared history, Poetry Month (April) isn't meant to exclude this important genre from the other eleven months of the year. 

That's why I'm excited to share this remarkable picture book now, as the year begins. It deserves a place on our shelves all year, and in many contexts. Each poem portrays a notable Black baseball "king", capturing in varied poetry forms the elements of each remarkably talented life on brilliantly-illustrated pages that saturate and signify key features of each man honored here.

It's notable that Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige begins the book with the title "INTRODUCING". The irony here is not to be taken lightly. Even non-baseball fans, even younger folks, are more likely to be aware of this icon of the NEGRO LEAGUES than any other. Even so, their awareness is superficial. His power, grace, strength, and finesse are captured in both the fireworks-action-packed pitching pose and the snapping, cracking, rhymed and rhythmic poem that stretches down the page. 

That re-introduction and expanding perspective sets up page turns that each reveal names lesser known but deserving of the titles of "KING". Many have nicknames that suggest their distinctive talents, personalities, and patterns on the field (Pop, Buck, Cool Papa, and more). Each had qualities that would, in modern baseball, earn seven-figure salaries, advertising contracts, and so much more. Back matter offers brief author notes as if on the the flip side of baseball cards, indicating where/how/why the players' lives and noted features inspired various approaches to each poem, as well as their years playing and a few stats. Following that, a two-page spread addresses facts about the Negro League. 

As poetry, this picture book could well be shelved in nonfiction, incorporating researched details about powerful American heroes and history. The work as a whole serves as a pattern for those doing research on lesser-known figures, suggesting ways to share both prose and poetic content that will open eyes and minds to remarkable leaders. Anyone who enjoys superheroes or has an interest in art would enjoy (and perhaps attempt to emulate?) the dramatic and expressive illustrations for each baseball hero. In total, this offers the excitement of a season to come combined with the thrilling lives of seasons past. Don't miss out!

IN THE DESERT: Poetry on the Prowl

CANDLEWICK PRESS,  2025

Mid-winter is when some of us snowbound folks travel to warmer spaces, including  Southwest deserts. The poems and creatures featured in IN THE DESERT are residents of the SARAHA Desert, but most of the creatures portrayed have relatives in deserts across the globe. The opening poem is titled THE SAHARA. Its brief lines offer details describing the harshness and minimal biology at first sight, with the last line reassuring that "Here, there is life".

Author DAVID ELLIOTT and illustrator GORDY WRIGHT combine their talents in this large-format, expansive landscape layout to immerse readers/little audiences in experiences they might otherwise never have. The seemingly simple poems invite repetition, while the images portray both scientifically accurate details and even spark emotional responses. The sound of the poems as read aloud incorporate delightful rhythms and rhyme while indicating the endlessly threatening patterns of food chains, venoms, and unnoticed threats.

There is no soft-pedaling of reality and the consequences of ignorance. But there is also a celebratory tone for a family of baboons practicing their "alphabet" of squeals and screeches, of migratory herds, and of an adorably familiar looking SAND CAT who is more than  she appears.Some animals portrayed are familiar (dung beetles and crocodiles) while others are less so (the addax and oryx). Back matter offers a double spread that names each featured animal with short informative text. This is a themed poetry collection, but as a work of nonfiction, I had also hoped for a page of further resources, related books, or at least a brief bibliography of sources. The publisher and creators have standing as reliable sources, but we've reached an era of unreliable sources (social media, AI, and more)  so that a short addition in back pages would have added to the value of this selection. 

If you can't  plan a mid-winter, warm weather getaway, a book like this that lands you in the heart of a desert could be very welcome. Just watch your step and fingers as you move through this remarkable habitat!

New Year Resolution: TOUCH GRASS (Leaf Town Forever)

 There are so many ways in which I'm "out of the loop" when it comes to social media and current lingo. Am I alone in STILL not understanding what six-seven means as it leaves center stage and something new takes the spotlight? But TOUCH GRASS is one phrase that I have understood from first hearing, and one that just might be the basis for a New Year Resolution that you won't regret. With digital lives and gaming and social media and texting and.... "all the things" filling our adult lives and those of our kids, TOUCH GRASS is that reminder to PUT DOWN the electronics and get outdoors. If you are in a climate that involves snow and ice, then seasonal rewording is welcome. Touch snow, touch buds, touch grass, touch blossoms, touch crispy fall leaves, touch evergreens. Whatever you do, the TOUCH part is what matters. It's more than just going outdoors and looking around. The premise of the prompt is to engage, to make yourself a part of the nature scene surrounding you. 

In the same way that petting a pup or listening to birdsong has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure, engaging with nature, mindfully and intentionally, can bring us back to ourselves. It can certainly return us to the pressures of digital demands with renewed and refreshed mental and physical health. That is even more true for young folks, and is one of the few strategies that allows young digital devotees to willingly opt out of electronics and into the real world. 

University of Minnesota Press, 2025

This brings me to belated attention to, and praise of, a fall release,  LEAF TOWN FOREVER, co-authored by Kathleen Rooney and Beth Rooney, with illustrations by Betsy Bowen. Inspired by a true story (actually a series of events spanning several seasons), and revealed through haiku and warm, child-like illustrations, the physical LEAF TOWN FOREVER occurred spontaneously during covid. Kathleen Rooney writes, teaches and publishes poetry, while her sister Beth Rooney is a journalism photographer. This story uses Haiku form in connected poems that describe the origins, threats, and success of LEAF TOWN. 

During Covid, playgrounds were closed, but the field behind their school was not. Three friends, girls, head out one fall day and recognized beauty and treasures everywhere. gathering, sorting, enjoying, they spontaneously imagined a treasure shop of lovely leaves, acorns, lost rings and other bits, and superb specimen leaves (oak, locust, ginkgo, and more). The leaves could build homes, pave paths, generate neighborhoods, and identify various roles (shopkeepers, worker/collectors, builders, and more). Their exercise in  imagination and action invited peers to join the fun, spanning weeks and unearthing wonders. 

Every heartwarming story such as this needs a line of tension, and this has one, also spawned by the actual events. Neighbor kids noted the daily dev developments and entered the scene with destruction and theft in mind. A fight ensues, but the once-discovered key that had been declared the heart of the town was preserved. The original builders set about restoring the town, building-back-better, as is sometimes said, and also preparing for possible attack (pine resin and needles at the ready). When neighbor kids returned it was made clear: join in or prepare to fight and lose, again and again. 

The expanded community grew and collaborated and was enjoyed through the seasons, with the opening refrain "Leaf Town Forever" produced on a sign that foretold years of life for the nature-village-imagination-socializing-source. The details are rich and revealing, including surrounding wildlife, and the relationships are understated but undeniable. Each year the current group presents the key, that "heart of the town", to the children of the next class. 

There are many things stated as if "rules" for writing successful picture books in "these days". They include featuring very young children, not spanning weeks or months or (NO!) years! Making the story strong on many hooks (appealing themes and topics that will help it sell) and comparable to other good-selling books. Well, this clearly shows that a good story, well-told and illustrated, one that stands apart from other current material can and will rise to the top. This table of school age kids, in a single setting, with poetic narrative and sufficient space for readers' own imaginations can, and will, find its footing and fans. Links to many of the praise-filled reviews about it can be found HERE, and its title has surfaced in discussions of year-end picture book awards.

My own praise for it relates to the appeal of the lyrical narrative (in actual poems that are readily accessible to all readers) combined with the leafy, lush illustrations that suggest natural; materials and outdoors. This delights me most in the unstated truth and enticement of time spent outdoors, in company of friends, with undirected and certainly unplugged play leading to a rich commitment to their joint effort. The solidarity of collaborators in the face of threat, their willingness to welcome the threateners into a wider circle of community, their sense that nature and all that it encompasses (including random detritus) has immeasurable value wrapped me in wisdom from the opening pages to the close. TOUCH GRASS has never been more clearly demonstrated than in this new picture book. I urge readers to give it your time and attention, to share it with kids of many ages, and to help spread this word for this small-press wonder. 

Thanks to University of Minnesota Press for a sample copy to be read with no promise of a review.

An Overdue Accounting: DAVE THE POTTER: Artist, Poet, Slave

 Some things are not given full credit because of ignorance. Others are not credited because of  oversight. Still others are intentional misrepresentations or denials. In this case, I haven't shared my love of this particular picture book, now fifteen years old. Reasons for that include that I didn't launch this  blog until a few years later. Just find and ask those who dealt with me in person before that launch and you will find many among them to whom I praised this glorious book. Though I struggle with naming favorites among the many books I love, this one would appear on my list of highly recommended picture books.

LITTLE, BROWN:
Books for Young Readers, 2010

DAVE THE POTTER: Artist, Poet, Slave is written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by the incomparable Bryan Collier. It is a lyrical narrative and richly illustrated account of a documented man. One documentation of him would be on the property listings of the man who enslaved him.  David Drake, though he was not accounted for with the dignity of a full name in those listings. His pottery creations were notably desirable, in size and artistry and quality. So much so, in fact that his skill and art gave him a bit of protection for a bold choice. He  risked signing many of his works and inscribed lines of poetry in some, opening him to possible severe punishments for proof of his ability to read and write.

In fact, this Caldecott-honored book is only one of several that were published since this one drawing more contemporary attention to the fact that Dave's work was taken from him, in the sense that his labor and its products were as much "property" as he was of the man who claimed to own Dave.

This long-time favorite of mine (THERE, I said it. This is a FAVORITE!) was called to mind by a recent NPR report about a Boston museum returning their two stoneware jars created by Dave to his descendants. A brief (only four minutes) account of the gathering and celebration of DAVE and of identifying his family continuity can be heard on this NPR Morning Edition piece. I hope you will LISTEN, then consider reading this gorgeous book about a remarkable human. His voice and talent were not given credit during his lifetime, but they can be now. Don't overlook DAVE yet again. 

DEAR ACORN, (LOVE, OAK): Letter Poems to Friends (With NPR interview link)

My usual strategy in choosing books to celebrate here is to focus on books that are just a shadow away from major accolades, because this titles will get plenty of attention from voices more widely heard than mine. Even so, some stand out so fully and specially that I can't help but add my two cents. This is a link to an interview on NPR with Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet. It aired Saturday 10/4, so I beat this post to air a day before. even so, it is a must-listen for anyone who cares about kids, or kids' books, or life!

Check the interview here- it's not long, but it is invaluable. Thanks, and enjoy.

CLARION BOOKS, 2025

DEAR ACORN, (LOVE, OAK): Letter Poems to Friends is a collection of themed poems written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. 

This is a one-of-a-kind pairing of two master creators combining their talents to produce a collection of poems on a timeless and child-focused theme. Joyce Sidman is among the most skilled and creative poets for young readers (and the rest of us) while Melissa Sweet produces collaged and mixed/media art and illustrations that delight the eye and invite closer consideration. That reader-response invitation provides a perfect scaffold for poems that delight the ear and encourage multiple readings and reflections. 

Sixteen poems are presented in eight pairs, each a direct address letter from a member of a large-to-small (or reverse) relationship within nature. Children, by definition, live lives in big-small relationships and this fresh and personified take on those emotional connections will be welcome.

The table of contents suggests what I'm trying to describe:

Oak/Acorn, Bubble/Sky, Cloud/Droplets, Pebble/River, 

Brick/School, Button/Coat, Toes/Child, and Sea Turtles/Ocean.

 Each poem assumes the voice of the entity, but also assumes a reading by the intended addressee, suggesting it expects to be heard and understood. And each opening poem does, indeed, get a reply. That, too, is a rich and resonate experience for children and for the child in each of us. Being heard and responded to feels like a basic human drive.

For example, when "bubble" starts life with the breath of a boy, it fully experiences its ephemeral but fun existence-- bobbing, shifting, shimmering. Even in that joyful instantaneous moment, Bubble speaks to Sky, revealing its wish to be part of something more. And then POP! The moist casing bursts and a boy's breath becomes part of the atmosphere. The art on Bubble's page has literal elements and a swirl of rainbow-sparkled other bubbles, forecasting their futures as elements of rainbow-filled skies. When SKY replies, it addresses "Dear BUBBLE-THAT-WAS". It shares a poignant insight and a personal thank you for a rare "soapy kiss", signing itself SKY-THAT-ALWAYS -IS.

Just as each phrase, line, and emotion of those two poems merits lingering attention, so too do the sky-square images assembled on that spread. Each suggests a different aspect of the sky, from science to play to weather to wondering. 

If ever a book could be effectively used as inspiration and mentor text for any and all ages, it is this one. The poems can spark exploration of the paired elements and their scientific/natural relationships. The poems encourage appreciation and acceptance of the truth that poetry, perhaps the best of poems, do not require or rely on rhyming, but rather on imagery and language and emotions. The art invites attempts at similar collage and assemblage creations, as well as analysis of elements and patterns of color, shape and sizes. 

Sidman provides a brief author note on the back page to invite readers to attempt letter poems, which are one of the best ways to capture that elusive but highly-valued writing craft, VOICE. As those who attempt letter poems will realize, and Sidman suggests and models in this collection, VOICE is a direct result of becoming part of the expressive object (or person). To imagine and occupy the thinking and feeling of the intended speaker is a rich exercise in empathy. Letter poems invite writers to go a step further and fully imagine themselves in the lives of the recipients. 

I am not alone in singing the praises of this lovely offering. HORN BOOK gives it a starred review HERE, and KIRKUS reviews it HERE as an "imaginative masterpiece."

All of that purposeful use of the book makes it  a must-have for homes, libraries, classrooms, and writing classes. Even so, I feel compelled to repeat myself from some prior posts many years ago. No one, not author, illustrator, editor, nor publisher, puts their time and heart and effort into making a superb picture book like this for the PRIMARY purpose of it being used in these intentional ways. The best creators may, consciously or not, generate work with depth and layers that can be unpacked again and again among many audiences for many purposes. But the MAIN purpose, the driving intent of the best picture books, is to be shared and enjoyed. Do that with this book, please. Read it, enjoy it, share it, and explore it. After delighting in and appreciating that original rich experience, I suspect the further uses and readings and inspirations will flow naturally as it lives on in your lives and on your shelves.

NIGHT WALK: A Dream of a Picture Book

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2024

Unless you are entirely new to the world of picture books, I'd guess that you know of OWL MOON, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoennherr (Philomel, 1987). Both author and illustrator represent lifetimes of remarkable successes, and yet their collaboration on OWL MOON feels to me like a capstone accomplishment.

Yolen has published more than four hundred books for children and youth, many award winners among them. Even so, that title conjures instant memories of the utterly realistic yet magical cold weather owl walk of a child and parent. Through a snow-covered woodland, they stroll quietly, gently, seeking a glimpse of a night owl. 

That's a lovely premise, to say the least. The magic comes in the way a seemingly simple, concrete story transcends the intended goal to depict a timeless yet precious moment between the human pair, christened by the eventual presence of the owl in the title. The illustrations captured and expanded the frozen, heartwarming, minimalist story with Caldecott Award-winning images that engage all of our senses. 

That book is touchstone in storytelling, poetry, voice, mood, and figurative language.

I begin with that homage because I rarely compare other books to OWL MOON, and definitely don't rank other work  alongside that original. This  picture book is an exception to my unwritten rule. NIGHT WALK is written and illustrated by Jason Cockcroft. This is not "another Owl Moon", rather it calls that icon to mind in content and quality. In this case, it's Grandpa waking up Sleepyhead to take a night walk in search of Grandma's favorite place. The text is an extended dialogue between Grandpa and child, reading like direct open verse in exchanges alternating plain font and italic. The child has never taken a night walk, has never imagined how such familiar wild territory could look so different in moonlight.

Together they are on a trek to Grandma's favorite place, with the child noticing countless things they knew were beloved by Grandma. Sometimes the child points them out, other times Grandpa does. Each discovery is viewed as a potential "Grandma's favorite place". Their hike involves fox and owl, fish and hedgehog, The illustrations are richly evocative, with shades and depths of blue, always frosted by moonglow. 

Under the stars, too many to count, watching passing whales, both rest on a hillside and whisper that they miss Grandma. In the fading night, Grandpa finally confirms that THIS is Grandma's favorite place-- as a page turn reveals a spectacular morning sunrise reflected in dawn waters. That, my friends, is a spoiler, but one that I won't apologize for revealing. The progression of story allows that penultimate scene to take your breath away, whether you know it is coming or not. I won't reveal the closing text on the final page turn, but you might anticipate it. 

This quietly elegant and yet simply rustic tale is not one that surprises. In fact it will resonate in each reader with your own special memories, personal losses, hallowed spaces. And with the remaining relationships with those who shared memories and love. I hope you'll take time not only to read NIGHT WALK, but to savor its grace and embrace your own memories and emotional treasures. Within the publishing world it is often repeated that "quiet books" are a hard sell. With this as an example, I doubt that.

Speaking of Home: ANYTHING Deserves Celebration

 The prior post shared a picture book in which HOME travels with the family, in much the way a turtle carries its home on its back. If you missed it, I hope you will take a look, HERE. The bottom line in that heartfelt story is that HOME is where LOVE is. 

CHRONICLE BOOKS, 2025

ANYTHING is a story by Rebecca Stead (multiple award-winning author who captures the emotional landscape of children of many ages) and illustrated by Gracey Zhang, (also a multi-award-winning illustrator). It, too, explores what and where HOME is, and how to find it.

Change is never easy, and this is a story of change and longing. A family must move, but their beloved home does not come with them. Not even the blue footed-bathtub for Thursday night baths. What, then, will make this new place HOME?

Those who write picture book manuscripts and seek feedback from other writers and editors are sometimes (often) told that their story really begins several pages into the text. What that means is that the first lines and pages are backstory, setting the stage, but not revealing anything important about the problem or characters. Backstory matters, but if a story is well-told, the talents of storyteller and illustrator will combine to reveal this without having to state it in advance. 

This is Stead's first picture book, and I hope it will not be her last. A writer of longer text (novels for middle grades or teens or adults) must come to picture book writing as if to poetry. What is required is trust in the reader to fill in from images and experiences what is not delivered in words. Condensing the luxury of 40,000 words to under 400 words for the entire book is  daunting, to say the least. In this case, though, Stead demonstrates expertise and appreciation for the elegance and absence of words in the best of picture books. 

In brief, a young girl and her dad are in day one of a move to a new apartment. Dad is deeply aware of the stress of moving and of his child's struggle with change. The first line is:

"The cake was chocolate."

Yep. That's it.

But just look at what that does to the opening.

Interior opening spread: ANYTHING, Chronicle Books

The illustrations are mostly backline drawings, some sketchy and some darkened and overlaid to focus attention and give weight to the scene element or characters. Isolated items carry attention through color (cake, rainbow, imagined wishes). The ANYTHING of the title refers to Dad's effort to make a hard transition more welcoming. Blowing out the candle on the cake allows for wishes for ANYTHING. (Even three wishes for ANYTHING, no matter how hard those wishes might be!)

The ensuing pages reveal a child with an aching heart who keeps some wishes to herself, a dad who knows his child well and provides safe spaces to share the wishes and help build a new home together. This is a full-sized book with loads of white space and minimal art and text. All the better to focus readers on that art and those well-chosen words. 

I won't spoil the deeply loving relationship, challenges, and resolve of this new release, because words I'd use would never do justice to the minimalist-richness of a book that is bound to be in the running for awards and praise in this calendar year. Beyond that I see this as a classic for years to come, ideal for Father's Day, for moving day, for change and loss, for discussions of HOME and what matters most, and as mentor text for writers and illustrators everywhere. 

A delightful note is that the first person narrator is sketched at such an age and with medium length hair and generic clothing so that they could visually read as a boy or girl. The lack of color and detail in character images means that readers can assign their own skin tones and identifiers to the characters if they wish, although they tend toward Caucasian. 

May I challenge you to get this book and consider carefully what it means to write what matters, but ONLY what matters, and to draw WHAT MATTERS. Like poetry, picture books like this make it clear that words without pictures fail, pictures without words often fail (though there are certainly some unforgettably fabulous wordless picture books), and both require an attentive, invested reader. That human element, with the right words and the right images, simply SOARS!

A Pair of Poets: Mary Oliver and William Carlos Williams Biographies

 Mary Oliver is among the most beloved of poets in America, and throughout the English-speaking world. 

Countless lines from Oliver's poems are recognizable, quotable, remembered without being actively memorized. 

Example:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?”

― Mary Oliver

BEACHLANE BOOK, 2025

Yes, THAT Mary Oliver is the subject of an appealing new picture book biography. WOODS & WORDS: The Story of Mary Oliver is written by Sara Holly Ackerman and illustrated by Naoko Stoop.  Her troubled early life is stated as fact without elaboration, providing an effective connection to many readers who will, on their own terms, imagine their troubles as hers and find her example offers paths to  solace. 

Mary escaped her pain in the woods, in the wild, from early on. Childhood patterns continued throughout her life- carrying a small notebook in a back pocket, stashing a bundle of pencils in small tree cavities along her regular paths. Always noticing, always identifying with and learning from the natural world.

The ensuing years as an adult reflect her ongoing bond with nature, with quiet, with reflection and observation. This is  a well-paced non-fiction account of her life, yet it offers readers of any age a roadmap to inner pursuits and validation, of taking ourselves to our own places of peace. 

The narrative provides specific details of her locations, of her natural observations, of her personal and professional pursuits. it also offers side text, strings of words related to the things she notices, the kinds of thoughts and words she inserted in her notebooks that later became building blocks for poems. Her writing, despite winning international awards, was not always seen as "good enough" by traditional editors. But Mary persisted, following her inner compass. She insisted that poetry and the natural world were necessary partners. She found fans who soon tucked her poems into pockets and squirreled away favorite lines. 

A brief author note provides added details of her life and awards, but the treasure in this book is the main text and illustrations. Natural tones, fluid statements, combining as naturally as ocean and beach, without artifice. Readers will not only learn information about Mary Oliver but will sense a kindred spirit in a poet whose life and words fit like a familiar glove. 

Schwartz & Wade, 2019

Another biography of a poet is a favorite picturebook of mine, although not a recent release. It sprang to mind as soon as I read WOODS & WORDS. 

16 WORDS: William Carlos Williams & "The Red Wheelbarrow" is written by Lisa Rogers and illustrated by Chuck Groenink. 

This award-winning book profiles William Carlos Williams, another poet who noticed the world. But his was the everyday world of his home and community that captured his vision, corralled his thoughts. Williams was the local doctor, serving a small community of people who were his neighbors in the best sense of the word. Through the window of his home0-based practice or during walks to and from home visits, details called to him. Things like the red wheelbarrow, the plums in a dish in the fridge, cats, trees, people. Williams chose his words as carefully as he chose prescriptions or treatments, making sure each was the perfect fit. Like Mary, he often scratched down words and ideas as they occurred, returning to them later to develop a poem of even a few lines, one that captured everything he had seen and felt in the moment. 

Both books use soft-edged illustration styles, in natural tones and media, with views from varied perspectives, any of which a reader might have similarly experienced. Each engages with brief narrative that is not so much poetic as it is lyrical and direct. Both made me want to go back to the bodies of work and reread, reconsider every poem, every line.

Both are books i highly recommend, as well as the works of the poets.

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