MAKING THREE WISHES... for IMAGINATION!

Today I celebrate picture books that demonstrate and honor the irrepressible imaginations of young readers. George Bernard Shaw's quote is worth remembering:

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”. 

The first is SUNDUST,

Kokila, 2025     CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK

written and illustrated by Zeke Peña. This adventure is set in the desert wildlife just beyond an urban 

landscape, beyond the "bulldozers and things that don't belong". There  cacti and hummingbirds thrive, there blossoms and scaled critters reveal themselves, there chrysalis develops and butterflies emerge, there sudden rains turn concrete drains into watery adventures. Throughout each step and discovery, the words are as crisp and revealing. The colors and lines, expressions and sprawls are expansive. As a vibrant, nearly-neon sun moves toward setting, the long day of exploration winds down and a mother's call is heard. Even so, the two friends linger long enough to watch the final sunset, gathering "sundust", feeling the universe of stardust within themselves. 

A day such as theirs is a gift, to them, and to  any reader lucky enough to open the covers of this book. Journey with them as they notice and appreciate nature at its finest. A marvelous world is waiting just beyond the edge of the everyday.

NEAL PORTER BOOKS
HOLIDAY HOUSE, 2020

Next up is a less reality-based adventure but one equally inviting. Author Philip Stead and illustrator Matthew Cordell have combined their creative talents in another cartoon-style picture book, but in an entirely different visual effect. Characters in SUNDUST feel firmly anchored in their habitat, even as their post-swim brown skin dries in cracks that resemble the hard-caked earth. In FOLLOW THAT FROG the text is more complex and adventurous, as are the various pages of full and spot illustrations. Speech bubbles combine with hand-letter sound effects, longer text, and cross-hatched and intricate drawings from quilts to chickens to dreamy-memory sequences related by Aunt Josephine. She recounts her youthful Peruvian adventure involving a giant frog who swallows an admiral's son. Succeeding pages reveal rides on ostriches and tortoise backs, pirates, misdirection, rescues. Throughout this surreal tale, a loud KNOCK continues. I leave it to you to fully explore (intentional word choice) the continents, critters, and comedy that bounces off these pages. 

NEAL PORTER BOOKS
HOLIDAY HOUSE, 2026

Finally (for today, at least) is a picture book that celebrates the cumulative creativity of kids left to their imaginations. Most cultures include the spontaneous game of ... "The floor is lava"... or some other assertion that requires survival by hopping from chair to couch, or even counter-surfing. In IF THIS WERE THE WORLD, written by Stephen Barr and illustrated by Ag Ford, the story spans one recess period in which various suggestions like the above example are shared, then each is countered by "we played that yesterday... or last week..."  or other indication that these imaginative kiddos are not afraid of big ideas. That's when a boy lifts a perfectly round orange from his lunchbox and challenges:

 "What if THIS... were the world?"

After sharing the juicy segments, other possibilities emerge- large spheres, a massive tree, and more. In each scenario they explore ways to use, share, and even over-use the supposed "world" in their imagination. Each fails to fully succeed. Finally, ... But I will not share the conclusion, despite the fact that I long to do so! There is such simplicity and depth to the conclusion that it feels nearly like a prayer. Not a formal or "religious" one, but a sense of awakening to ourselves and our place among our true world. The current moon mission has been sending color images of our amazing planet. That's a timely reminder of the power of awareness of just how precious our planet and our places on it and among each other really are. 

May you all, one and all, read these. And be inspired to PLAY!

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!)

THE RABBIT LISTENED: Could We?

Whatever joyful thoughts and inspirations this time of year calls to mind for you (Passover? Resurrection? Spring bulbs? Longer days of sunlight?) I'd imagine that rabbits play some role in those thoughts. New births abound, tiny nests of bunnies are uncovered when gardening, and pint-sized, transparent-eared little buns nibble at grass or dandelions. Right? 

Store shelves abound with chocolate rabbits while comic strips feature parents biting the ears off the chocolate bunnies in their kids' Easter baskets. [Side survey: when you receive a chocolate rabbit, do you bite the ears off first? Feel free to confess in the comments!]

What does all this have to do with picture books? Well, I found an Easter card picturing three chocolate bunnies on the cover, and the middle one with missing its ears. The inside text said that two out of three rabbits HEARD it would be a wonderful Easter. It's a funny card and I was pleased to find it. After I mailed it, though, my thoughts followed a "rabbit hole" about missing ears and not hearing and relying on habits rather than thinking or listening in the moment.

DIAL BOOKS, 2018

That led me back to a book that I featured some years ago about dealing with grief, THE RABBIT LISTENED, written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld.  As the cover indicates, this is a story of comforting, with a focus on the power of listening. 

When the child's play-project collapses, they view it as a tragedy. Various efforts to "make it better" are offered by caring others. Adults will recognize themselves in the words of advice, familiar phrases that fail to recognize what is really needed. 

Examples are things we too often say to others in our lives; 

You can make another.

At least you've learned something.

You have other toys to play with.

or even the dreaded...

This is not such a big deal.

I didn't put quotes around the above lines because I paraphrased, writing the gist of what the text stated. Characters were reverting to past practice and patterns without pausing to see what was really needed.

Each seemed to have lost their "emotional ears", making assumptions or rushing in to reduce tension and pain. At times, though, quite often actually, what is most needed is simply someone to sit with us while we fully experiencel our pain. 

The rabbit does that. No words. No verbal reassurances. Simply being there, as near and as accepting as possible. As I wrote in a prior post, "...this little book offers a universe of wisdom. It opens with utterly appealing scenes, introducing a character, Taylor, about whom we instantly care."

"After failed attempts, Rabbit arrives. As the title says, Rabbit Listened, recognizing and absorbing Taylor's raw emotions. Rabbit's only role is to be present. To offer comfort without expectation or exit. Only then can Taylor (who could be a boy or a girl) try out various reactions, move through stages of grief, and work through the pain of loss until it is resolved. As comforting as this book may prove to be for young audiences, it should be considered an advanced course in human outreach for those of us with the "fixer" impulse."

Those missing rabbit ears on a seasonal card had me reflecting on the degree to which our larger society seems to operating on assumptions and default reactions. Not only in politics, but in technology-anxiety, environmental concerns, and more. So often I hear familiar phrases and reactions in conversation from entirely different people in a wide array of ages and settings. All seem calm and caring, but that edge of repetition concerns me. Many times such talk elicits some nods or "hmm" and the topic shifts. Perhaps we'd all do better in many circumstances to reflect back before offering even "safe" reactions or thoughts. 

For myself, I'm hoping to reflect back and listen more. "Tell me more about what you think" or "Tell us why you say that" or ??? What I want is to make myself THINK, and LISTEN, and be open to how others feel. I'm more convinced than ever that some of the most deeply-held opinions are actually a reflection of deeply felt tensions or worries or fears. Perhaps if I allow others to share some of that, I could simply listen. Perhaps it might ease their sense of isolation or fear of being attacked. I don't have to agree or disagree, just let them feel heard. 

At least I can try. And I plan to do so.

That is my plan for a new beginning to this season of growth and renewal.

May your own seasons be filled with listening.