102... Lots To Think About Here!

 I'm so eager to dive into picture books that I rarely read the back blurbs or jacket copy before diving into the book itself. That isn't the kindest news to those who labor so seriously to find exactly the right text to lure readers in. I realize that, and always go back to read that material eventually. In the case of 102, written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell, I found in that later reading of jacket copy the use of the book's opening line, a line that I'll include here: 

LITTLE, BROWN, & Company  2025


Those twists continue throughout.

The opening spread remains anchored in the familiar; A kid is sent home with a fever of 101, a stray mouse scurries across the floor, and a debate ensues about getting rid of it or keeping it.

The reassuring line, "You'll be safe with me" provides a hint about issues that quickly arise.

This is an ideal place to elicit ideas about what, exactly, will happen next. I'd wager (money I don't have) that brilliant ideas will follow, but none with get it right, at least not in total. The child narrator attempts to follow a calling grasshopper, shrinking to hole-in-the-wall size himself. Readers join him for a journey inside the walls of the house. Who and what he meets there are both curious and informative, but must not delay him on the quest led by the grasshopper. Eventually, they reach the source of the truth about those beans, and about that mouse, and about the boy himself.

I've already given away so much of the story, but that should not deter you. The best continues on, and each page provides Cordell's color-drawn line art in ways that underscore this nighttime adventure, a quasi-reaslitic adventure, and the tenderness of a mother for her ailing child. 

Even in the final pages, this beans, those 102 repetitions, that gentle recognition of kindness toward others all resonate on the page. What part is realistic? What happened and what didn't happen? That's for you and young readers to decide. 

JUST ONE OAK: A Nonfiction Treasure

An oak tree is a world unto itself. 

Although it isn't. 

A mature oak is interconnected with everything else, from the animals who use it as residence or food source or more, to the carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange that is so essential to every other life form, including us, to the microbial and fungal lives interacting underground. From the simplicity of  "I think that I shall never see... a poem lovely as a tree" to the nearly overwhelming complexity of that one tree could be a jarring journey if not treated masterfully.

Mastery is exactly what happens in JUST ONE OAK: What a Single Tree Can Be.

BEACHLANE BOOKS, 2026

It is written by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Diana Sudyka. The magnificence of the oak in this story plays the role of honoring all oaks. That parallels the magnificence of this nonfiction picture book with contents of such an extensive topic but such a poetic presence. The facts about this symbolic tree are specific and important, graceful and inspiring. The illustrations have a similarly expansive blend of beauty and details. 

This impressive treatment of a seemingly familiar but bottomless topic is managed by combining the main text in larger, friendly font, with smaller text shadowing the creatures and structures within the image, while more small print appeared in informational insets on various spreads. 

This approach offers a range of science and nature facts with a magical realism that makes the content understandable and intriguing. Shifting perspectives from close-up to distant, from above ground to underground, from leaf to trunk, readers remain focused on that OAK, but in fresh and informative ways. The illustrations allow younger readers to recognize and connect with other picture books about trees and woods and animals, but  the sidebars and image labels invite further reading or returns to these pages over and over. 

Back matter provides resources, additional detailed content, and diagrams. There, too, I admired the masterful decisions about what to remove from the main text, what to include in the expanded materials. This is a great example of a picture book that offers something for everyone at every age, while never losing the celebratory awe conveyed in learning more about ONE OAK TREE.

The first home I owned was built at the edge of an oak wood. I moved in during the winter and welcomed the coming of spring. Because the oaks were now my neighbors, I longed to see them leaf out and show new life. Instead, those oaks were the last of all the plants in the woodland to show any indicators of greenery. I feared that the woods were dead, that a strong storm would bring them crashing down on my new roof. 

Eventually, though, I saw that patience pays off, and the noble oaks were verdant and vibrant, that the related lives shown in this picture book abounded among my oak neighbors, and that those oaks would outlast me and my house. My respect for and love of oak trees and all that they foster in our natural world exploded, and continues to grow. This book allows readers to share that experience and respect. 

THE COUCH IN NTHE YARD: A Surreal Summer Escapade

I'm living in my home state of Ohio again, after living elsewhere for many decades. Since my return I'm often reminded of the distinctly different topography, sociology, and cultural heritage of the various regions within this supposed "flyover" state. The area of Ohio most distinct, in many ways, is the southeast region that embraces an Appalachian vibe similar to that of Kentucky, where my mother grew up. All too often, any references to regions marked with valleys and hollows, rural roads, very small towns, generational residents, and stereotypical white steeple churches seem to be shadowed by an air of condescension. Perhaps that description is too strong, but at least I detect a degree of judgement or assumption that such an area is backward, isolated, or in other ways "less than" more urban regions. 

NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2025

Cynthia Rylant, author of many beloved books for kids, both early readers and award-winning picture books, grew up in Appalachia West Virginia, an area adjacent to Appalachia Ohio. She honored and celebrated the pace and people of her childhood, the rhythms of language and depths of relationships. That richness and relevance of story and place and population is what I felt in a recent picture book, THE COUCH IN THE YARD, written by Kate Hoefler and illustrated by Dena Seiferling.

It may be that those who treat such regions and their residents as "drive through" rather than "flyover" are still so removed from those "other" lives that  they only notice the front yard cars on cinder blocks or the upholstered furniture near the garden. Perhaps it is only a residual awareness or memory of such things, since most travelers stick to the freeways and make their stops at Buc-ee's or other franchises, cookie-cutter places with no way to tell one from the other.

The author chose to put that yard couch front and center. The couch is fully foreground in this tale that takes readers along on a summer night adventure. The couch is strapped to the roof of the car, a car finally urged into its potential to run. Using well-managed rhyme in the pattern of "This Is The House That Jack Built", these smoky-toned, starry-night images build upon each other as the verses do, sharing the joy and excitement of seeking a full moon to view and a beautiful world to celebrate. The joy of the experience is irresistible, the moon is luminous amid the lifting fog, and the family shares their front row seat with readers. Grateful. Delighted. Thrilled, even, at the wonder of it all. 

This story celebrates love, life, and luxury- the luxury of a family that sees and appreciates each other and the world around them. A world that would be lost to them in the city.

The author grew up in the rolling hills of Ohio's Appalachia and treasures her experiences there.  The illustrator did not, but captured the values and tone of Kate's words in images that took me right back to summer nights in Kentucky. I seemed to hear the crickets, the distant train whistles, the wind in the tree tops. I won't share details from the author's or illustrator's  notes, but I do urge you to take a moment after reading this book to absorb what they have to say. Especially if you're ever heard (or felt) that slightly judgmental tone in in discussions about the people and lives of western Appalachia. The blend of gentle rhythmic language and ethereal art will wrap you in s sense of how and why the life portrayed is one to be envied.

Now that summer is upon us, we are all capable of setting foot outside to discover what wonders might await us, whether on a front stoop or  the front seat of a car, on a bike or on foot. Life is out there. And life is in all of us, especially when we share the ride. 

A PLACE JUST FOR ME: Priceless.

 The words of Virginia Wolff resonated from the moment they first appeared in her 1929 extended essay: A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN. That piece is a very adult reflection on creativity, identity, and independence. Even so, the impulse to have "space", to find yourself and be yourself, can be recognized in even the youngest among us. A PLACE JUST FOR ME, written by Loredana Baldinucci and illustrated by Melinda Berti, seizes that impulse and celebrates agency and self-awareness in a young mouse.

GREYSTONE BOOKS
2023

Beginning with the illustrations, Berti has captured the perspective and character of nature at mouse-scale, blending realism with lighthearted marvel. The youngest mouse in the family lives in the roots of a large tree in a sprawling meadow. That little mouse and family live a human-ized life that mirrors that of many young children. 

There is absolutely nothing WRONG with mouse's life, but something about it is just not RIGHT. Silver's many siblings and generations are busy mice, with space to pursue their interests. Silver seeks a place to do NOTHING, at least for a little while, amid the very busy household. This simply-stated narrative is enhanced with detailed scenes on white backgrounds, with clarity that even the youngest audiences will investigate but with enough simplicity to feel safe and comforting. Silver doesn't need to escape, he needs to FIND a place that is a good fit. This is a quest story at its heart.

The narrative and scenes allow Silver to explore among safe neighbors, and to recognize ones that are not safe. His journey offers growth and learning what does or doesn't work for him. He is only out and exploring for a few hours, and yet he acquires awareness that some of his dissatisfaction comes from within. The lovely conclusion reveals that his quest has been on Mama Mouse's radar. Carving out a niché for Silver leads to recognition that home is the right place: for doing nothing, for doing something, and for being HOME. 

DRAGONFLY BOOKS, 2017
(reprint)

Something about the visuals and the gentle sense of mouse-persona reminded me of Leo Lionni's mouse tales, especially FREDERICK.  The illustrations involve very different media and techniques, but both titles and visuals capture a lightness of spirit, insights into the mind of a sensitive young mouse, and calming resolutions that welcome repeated readings and imagined connections. Both the creators of A PLACE JUST FOR ME and FREDERICK are (were) from Italy. It makes me wonder what magical personalities those Italian mice must have!

When you or someone you know seems in need of a place of their own, or time and space to do NOTHING, share this book. Or both!