TO THE FRONT!

As I type this, Ukranians of every age, interest, gender, and background are finding "The Front" of an  uninvited, unwanted, and unjust invasion by Russia at their front doors. I wish them well and hope that their individual stories of bravery will make their way to a wider public, on the page or film or screen, after they have sustained a free and independent country against this onslaught. I listened to a report today by an emergency physician who is giving one-hour intensive lessons to everyday citizens to provide instruction and equipment meant to save lives- tourniquets, sutures, and other procedures that should require medical training to learn. Wash, rinse, repeat, hour after hour. I struggle to decide who is the greater hero, the doctor, exhausting himself and knowing the likely futility of his efforts and theirs, or the individuals who are willing to step up, to do SOMETHING to try to save lives and make a difference. None were giving in to feeling overwhelmed, they were simply moving forward.

Calkins Creek, 2022
Astra Publishing House

 

That's very much the frame of mind of Clara Barton and her crew of volunteer men. TO THE FRONT! Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam is written by history-lover and storyteller Claudia Friddell, with evocative and informative illustrations by Christopher Cyr. This is a revelation of the early acts that distinguished Clara Barton as a brave, dedicated, and knowledgeable woman whose efforts were essential in saving lives and reducing suffering among the wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Friddell sets the stage for these harrowing scenes by blending actual text from Barton’s journals in blue font, paired with the author’s own free verse text in three-line stanzas and full paragraphs. This clear-eyed but dramatic account relates events through intimate perspectives of Clara’s wagon, Clara’s men, Clara’s hands, Clara and the doctors, her discoveries, her comforting, her endurance, her impact. 

Clara’s own words and the author’s text weave seamlessly but distinctly. Together they forge an effective trail that leads readers into the battlefields, into her makeshift and groundbreaking support efforts, and into connections and empathy with Clara, the doctors, the men who volunteered to serve as her team, and the victims of war. Back matter includes short perspectives on Clara, the consequences of her efforts, her personal missions before and after the war years, and her connections with other leaders of the time.

 

The bibliography and notes included offer a wealth of reliable resources to answer curious questions or launch further research. The illustrations are also a rich source of historic information, tone, social patterns, and gender expectations. The shifting perspectives of panoramic scenes and close portrayal of Barton’s reactions and worries feel theatrical and compelling, raising the suggestion that a nonfiction story told this well would make a valuable film or video. 

 

The name “Clara Barton” is one of the better known in American history, yet the extent of what most would know about her could fit on a JEOPARDY “answer” cue. A deep dive, as this is, dense with well-selected and appropriately placed primary source quotations, is exactly what it takes to waken all of us, at any age, to the full truths of Clara Barton’s life, and of our national history. 

A Trio of Timeless Picture Books

The goal for anyone producing text and/or illustrations for picture books is to create books that are "classic", timeless, lasting. In this post I'll first feature a book from 2003. (That's FIFTEEN YEARS AGO already! How did that happen?) Then I'll share a release that was first published in Japan in 2003, but released in the USA in 2017. I'll end with a retold story with origins from centuries ago but newly released in 2018. 
So let's get this time-travel started!

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2003

THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE,  written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, is a truly charming book. With crisp lines  and vibrant jewel-tone illustrations, it offers an unusual twist on unexpected friendships. The seemingly effortless rhyme and repetitive nested text moves the story in wavelike rhythm from its tropical opening through the Arctic and beyond. The little snail uses slime as cleverly as Charlotte used her web to send messages that invite adventures and then to save the life of the whale. It's an undeniably heartwarming tale, and well worth dwelling on the expansive spreads and the tiny details, especially the eyes of snail, whale, and their community of critters. It's a wonderful read-aloud and could serve as mentor text for writing.

Chronicle Books, 2017

This next book was released in Japan that same year. THE FOX WISH was written by Kumiko Aman and illustrated by Komako Sakai. Often non-English books make their way to release in America, but more typically they do so within a year or so of the original publication. In this case, Chronicle Books released this English version in 2017, and I'm so happy that they did. 

Unlike the oversized, landscape layout suited to a world-traveling whale adventure, this gentle but lively story is told with subtle, woodland colors and produced in a smaller, square trim size. The art itself is deftly blended with blurred edges and  the text is interspersed with cursive font. The overall book design is an ideal format for this young-girl narrator and her little brother Lukie to make a most astonishing discovering. When they return to the field to retrieve her jump rope, they discover a family of foxes jumping rope. These are absolutely delightful foxes, not the least bit anthropomorphized, in my opinion, despite adopting human actions, voice, and names. They truly display fox-like body movements, postures, and expressions, not to mention attitudes. 
You love it already, right? 
But just wait.
This much of the story is pretty evident from the cover alone, but within the pages you'll find it is loaded with surprises. The foxes aren't good at jumping and the girl quickly coaches them to hold their tails up straight. The kids and kits are soon jumping together, having a wonderful time. It's only when Roxie, the girl, takes the handle to turn that she realizes it is her missing rope. Of course she tries to claim it, but one llittle fox has a tale to tell that shines a whole new light on the day, and on the rope. Seriously, this book should be in every home, classroom and library. What a conversation starter it is, for every age, which every classic book should be. 

Holiday House 2018

Finally, take a look at the most recent book, whose title will be immediately recognizable, since the origins of the tale are often attributed to Aesop: WHO WILL BELL THE CAT? This recent version is retold by Patricia McKissack and illustrated by Christopher Cyr. There are plenty who say that retold tales are not needed or wanted in the current "market" for picture books. This book demonstrates well that a lively, well-constructed text and vibrant, expressive art can make even the oldest tales feel fresh and appealing. 
McKissack provides cleverly generic names for the wildly varied barn mice (Smart Mouse, Friend Mouse, Wise Mouse, Wee, Tiny, and Teeny Mice). Cyr offers characteristic and masterful use of light and dark tones in the illustration, framing and highlighting the eyes, personalities, setting, and tension of the dramatic events as they unfold. Rich with personality, the barn rats make a signifiant appearance, as does a carload of "giants" (humans). Not an art stroke or a character is without purpose and occurr naturally. That includes the carload of humans who happen to be people of color, a rare but happy appearance for traditional tales. 

I recommend each of these wholeheartedly, and hope you'll check them out sooner rather than later. Their stories are universal, their artwork is absorbing, and the creators are from around the world. If you know any of these books already, chime in with your own opinions, or come back and comment after you've taken a close look of your own. You won't be disappointed.