FANTASTIC (Flying) BOOKS: Consider the Following...

 I read book this earlier, closer to its release date over a decade ago.Then a friend gifted me a copy with an awareness that books are central to my life and they thought I should be sure to read it. That was a touching reminder to me that my friends and family all know how central to my life BOOKS are. Admittedly, I'm a tad (HA!) hyper-verbal, and I apologize for that regularly. Even so, I'll never apologize for celebrating books, especially books for youth. Too many of the changes in contemporary life and society push for our attention, and BOOKS deserve all the cheerleaders they can get. 

MOONBOT BOOKS
 Imprint of ATHENEUM BOOKS FYR, 2012

(SPOILER ALERT- I will share the full circle of this story. It is older and most know it.)

In the case of THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MORRIS LESSMORE, written by William Joyce, the character in the story lives an exciting series of events with books. The story is magical and action packed (yes, a story about a man reading is action- packed) and was an outgrowth of Academy Award-Winning animated short film. Joyce and Joe Bluhm share illustration credits for this lively, extra long picture book filled with truth and wonder. A single reading will suggest the heart of the story and a central theme of the film. This is a visual feast with dramatic tension and imaginative joy throughout, quietly flooded with heart. 

A twist on a  famous movie line captures my original response to the first spread text: It had me at ...

"Morris Lessmore loved words.

He loved stories.

He loved books."

And that's all it took for me to feel that Morris and I are kindred spirits. Morris is also a writer, though many of his attempts end in upsets. When Morris broke his habit of looking down, the sepia-tones spreads shift to colorful, literally uplifting images. The world of books, personified and speaking to him directly, intervenes in his frustrating, worried, internal world. Books introduce possibilities, curiosity, and excitement that lead to sharing books with others. "Everyone's story matters," he says. 

His life of reading, sharing, tending books, exploring words, and and writing his own story led, in a page turn, to his eventual aging. Those beloved books read themselves to him, care for him, comfort him. When he writes the last page of his own book, when he steps out of life and into the eternal world of stories, his own book remains behind. The books understand, waiting... 

...for the young girl who enters the world of books left behind by Morris. His book flies to her hands, filled with his story, his joys and upsets and fears and excitement. That's where her story begins... with the opening of a book. A legacy passes hand-to-hand, page-to-page, generation to generation. 

This lovely circle story is both surreal and anchored in truth. It is both heartwarming and poignant. The illustrations are beyond my tools of description, and evocative of an animated film, of course, with letters and words assembling and disassembling, swirling on and off pages, enticing and exciting. 

Viewing the short film may feel like a significantly different experience from reading the book. It is a visual, wordless exploration of broader themes. Among those are the revelation that an old book, any book, only offers a life when it is read, when readers partner with the symbols and images on the page to give life to the stories within the covers. The central stories (book and film) are the same, but the lives of the books, their NEED for connection with readers is much more palpable in the film. Both deserve attention, and carry compelling messages without being didactic.

Both the book and film suggest that a simple, single person, someone with a life of their own, will discover a universe of stories in words and books, in libraries, in sharing books with others. Tomorrow, April 1, begins National Library Month. This feels like a fabulous way to celebrate books and libraries with young readers. They'll recognize the richness, color, and connection that books bring into an otherwise dull life. I hope you'll check out both the book and film, and share some love with local libraries and librarians.

The books and I thank you!

Come Visit With Me: THE LIBRARY IN THE WOODS

Coming up, April 6, is National Library Day. April is also National School Library Month. As with any and all other focus days or months, these call attention to what we agree is important, but risk the suggestion that the topic isn't noteworthy during the rest of the year. I'm happy to say that I (and so many others I know) find libraries to be a necessary and integral part of our lives, year after year. In fact, since retiring, I've used public libraries even more so than while working full time in schools (and I used libraries often then!).  

CAROLRHODA BOOKS, 2025

In the case of a new picture book offering, the availability of a public library was life changing. My limited access to libraries as a child were mentioned in a recent post, HERE, but my restrictions were matters of location, transportation, and the generally low quality of children's/youth offerings at that time. In THE LIBRARY IN THE WOODS, written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, the characters are residents of Roxboro, North Carolina in the era of Jim Crow. 

The author's lived experiences inspired this narrative that traces a family, one that must finally abandon their efforts to live independently on a farm due to natural forces beyond my control. That early, heartbreaking opening moves them to town, where the young boy narrator learns about a library, one that does not deny him entry and treats him with the respect he (and all people) deserve. Despite his awareness that he'd be refused entry to the town library, this one was operated and under complete control of the Black community. Access to so manny books was a dream come true.

That rarity, in his time and place, make a compelling and powerful story in itself. But the greater layers and further details of this story involve the family from which the narrative emerged. His choice of his three book allowance for each checkout included one for his father, one for his mother, and one for himself. Providing his father with a book (on George Washington Carver) leads to revelations for the boy, to learning ways that literacy can be shared, and to readers' empathy for the deep love and care shown from cover to cover. 

Both author and illustrator are multiple award-winning creators of works for young readers, and this merits similar attention and praise. The art is both familiar and informational about the historic period and location. The text moves smoothly, as if the boy is retelling the events to a neighbor or parent. The author note (and archival newspaper clipping form the actual Roxboro Library) indicate ays in which the story is literally taken from his life and ways in which it was changed for the sake of focus and pacing. 

Both the author's actual life history and this account of it are moving and powerful. This is a picture book that would work well in a social studies class related to the era in American history, or to literacy in America, or to economics in that place and time. I hope you'll consider your own relationships to libraries while in your young lives and across a lifetime. As Ramsey says in those closing notes, to have grown up with actual library access,  even if not "equal"  to the libraries from which he was excluded, was a privilege and joy beyond the reach of so many others of color in the South.The countless ways in which library access has improved my life are blessings beyond measure. 

Celebrate your own libraries in some meaningful way on April 6 or the next time you visit. A sincere "thank you", with a line or two about the differences libraries have made to you, will be welcome, I guarantee. 

I also  recommend , for adults who wish to be informed about the current assault on linaraies and access to books, a memoir/account of the status of that battle: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones.

What ONE CAN BE... Take a Look

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

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

BEAMING BOOKS, 2025

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

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

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

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

"One.

Alone.

No one else nearby."

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

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

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

MUD ANGELS: History Restored

Albert Whitman, 2024

With weather extremes occurring around the globe, sometimes without warning, this historical fiction account of a flash flood in Florence, Italy resonates with modern times and concerns. MUD ANGELS: How Students Saved the City of Florence is written by Karen M. Greenwald and illustrated by Olga Lee. Despite modern scientific developments in forecasting and remarkable global scientific tools, sudden weather events continue to assault communities, too often without  warning. 

In this account of a surprise weather event in the 1960s, Florence, Italy, was badly damaged by storm-generated rogue waves. Magnified by their containment within urban canals, the waters rose several stories high, rushing and crushing everything in their wake. Although that weather event itself lasted only eighteen hours before the waters suddenly receded back to the sea, the damage to everything in its path would take massive efforts for weeks, months, to salvage and rescue the city and its cultural treasures from utter destruction. (Learn more about that storm HERE.)

Author Greenwald creates personal connection for young readers to this story featuring older kids. The young narrator indicates that a four-generations-old hand-printed book authored by her ancestor resides in the Central Library of Florence, an even-older institution that was directly in the path of those rising, ravaging waters. The narrator's family lived nearby and operated the hotel at which many young Florida State University students resided during their time in Florence.

The well-researched story begins in modern times, revealing that the institution still serves its community. A page-turn takes readers back in time more than fifty years to what could also be considered "modern times" and yet clearly qualifies as history. Unheralded from that era and that horrific episode are the young people who led the rescue and restoration of the flood-damaged books in the Central Library of Florence. The author's notes (in back acknowledgements) share her information sources and interests, with reference to the young story narrator's likely perspective  through interactions with the students staying in her parents' hotel. The author was able to incorporate primary source materials to assure that this rarely-told story would honestly and thoroughly depict the brave young "mud angels" from many countries whose efforts are celebrated in the book. 

Illustrations suggest a page-turn time shift, depicting visiting students who wear period clothing (girls in skirts, not slacks) and the obvious thrill it must have been for international youth to be able to study and learn in such an exciting location. The subsequent and remarkable efforts of visiting students in attempting to rescue and restore priceless and timeless volumes from the flooded, muddied lower levels of the library are revealed in efficient text and compelling visuals. The residue "mud" and waters of the flood (as anyone who has dealt with such events will attest) included dangerous detritus, unknown chemical contaminants , and other matter that exposed those young people to serious harm to their skin, lungs, eyes, and more. 

Internal illustration from ARC, MUD ANGELS
Albert Whitman, April, 2024

And yet they left their safe hotel rooms, those young folks who were not even residents of Florence. They could have remained comfortably above the waters, or returned to their homes, but instead they plunged into the deepest levels of the muddied institution, determined to rescue and revive as many of the ancient volumes as they could. The author compares the eventual influx of even more students arriving from around the world to waves of human, international good will, volunteering to participate in a rescue effort that spanned not months, but years. That theme, of serving, caring, and borderless commitment is clearly and effectively conveyed. Volunteering relies on such efforts, and a story like this is overdue in giving credit where it is so well-deserved.

This important, inspiring, informative new picture book will release in April, 2024. You can preorder a copy from the publisher, your favorite book store, or online sources. By the way, National Library Week (ALA) is in April, so consider purchasing a copy to give to your own favorite library! At the very least, share this review with your favorite youth librarian and encourage them to add it to the public collection! May no library ever need such a cadre of MUD ANGELS, but if and when it happens, consider stepping up. Serving our communities can be inspired by this story, and it deserves everyone's appreciation.

The Power of Story: THIS IS A STORY

 My experience tells me this is universal truth:  

Gather two or more people together, especially family and friends, then mention a shared event from some time past. The recollection of, relative importance of, details retained, and consequences of that singular experience will vary far more than they will match, but all will center on the experience itself, and the people who shared it.

I say this because I've read several books for adults lately, all highly recommended by friends and family, all praised as powerful and important. I've read each with intensity and appreciation, and found that each centered its theme on the power of STORY. In each case, too, the stories within stories inspired, informed, and connected with the characters portrayed in different but significant ways. 

That's what stories do.

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2022

Incidentally, the book I finished reading last night centered librarians as the flinders and facilitators of story, of information, of content that had been forbidden (banned, censored, legislated against) as a form of resistance and as sustainers of community.

THIS IS A STORY is written by librarian and book-lover JOHN SCHU, illustrated by LAUREN CASTILLO, and dedicated to several remarkable books-for-youth creators and the librarians who serve young people everywhere. 

In a series of simple, progressive statements, Schu leads readers from the simple recognition of words, to words on a page, to books, to topics, to the infinite portal of connections, a library. With equally progressive illustrations, Castillo presents appealingly familiar folks of diverse backgrounds and interests, each of whom explores, connects, and embraces particular books. Many of the titles used in illustrations reveal the covers and spines of beloved and award-winning favorites among the many books for kids published in recent decades. Even so, the topics and stories within those chosen distinctly call to individual readers,  readers who will warmly recommend those that touch their minds and hearts.

My guess is that those who take the invitation to try someone else's recommendations will respond differently, even if equally enthused.  "Story", whether in lived experience, oral narration, or within the pages of a book, is only one wing of a unique bird. The other, the wing needed to bring a story to life, to lift it into the heart and atmosphere and beyond, is the life-story of the reader/audience. When the author's words connect with the heart of the reader, the story flies. 

Whether reading for ourselves as adults, reading aloud to someone else (and ADULTS enjoy being read to, right?), or as young folks just discovering their own power to transform print into life, the process depends on STORY, on the meaningful connection of ideas within that form. Something has to matter. And that happens in well-written narrative nonfiction as well as in fiction.

Stories matter. Share this one. Share your own. Seek out the stories of others. 

Fly.