TEA IS LOVE... And I LOVE Tea!

When my body was younger and more resilient, I consumed coffee at a furious pace. Faster and in greater volumes than allowed for any effort toward connoiseur reflections. Coffee was coffee. 

Then, with age, I couldn't tolerate coffee on a physiological level, even though I still enjoy coffee's aroma. Instead, I became a tea drinker, gradually acquiring preferences among various types and brands. Mainly, though, I found a calming effect in tea, in contrast to  the "ramping up" impact of a cup of strong coffee. 

That's all a lead in to a new picture book that considers tea as an experience rather than as a beverage, TEA IS LOVE, 

DIAL BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
2025

written by Adib Khorram and illustrated by Hannah Cha. With lyrical lines that, written alone, launch entire spreads, the lines assembled reveal a poetic humage to tea, the poep[le who provide it, and those who share it: 

"TEA is a plant.

TEA is a journey.

TEA is a rainbow.

And TEA is love."

With full spreads and spot illustrations, tea becomes an experience between and among people of every background and culture. Much of the "information" within this warm-hearted revelation about the power of TEA in our various lives is explored through images that involve diversity of homes, geography, and identity. Tea transcends it all. The author note in back (using many more words than the brief main text) offers details on types of tea, ways tea is used in various cultures, and ways it is prepared for market and then in various homes and restaurants. 

The distinctly diverse individuals (in age, ethnicity, gender, geography) suggest that TEA is a unifier, a universal experience despite distinct differences among us.The end papers are not only warmly welcoming with soft edges, finishes, and tender colors, but also in the variations of vessels associated with tea. This approach invites curiosity and questions rather than challenges and concerns.There are so MANY ways we can learn more about tea, but this simple book is a lovely introduction to and reminder of the "big picture " of TEA, what it is and what it means in our lives.

 For many decades now I've been on firm footing: I LOVE TEA. But this book (a new favorite of mine) persuades me that TEA IS LOVE. Why not pour yourself a cuppa your favorite tea and check this out?

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. 

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!

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.

Nature Calls... In the Best of Ways: WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH

Some things, particularly NATURE, are reliably calming to me. I often hear the same is true for many others. In any of its glorious forms (as opposed to its occasionally damaging ones) nature can restore my spirit, energize my body, and inspire my mind. This is true in each of the four seasons, and I deeply appreciate living in a four-season climate. 

BEACHLANE BOOKS, 2025

That's surely the part of my own nature that drew me to WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH, written by Katey Howes and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Beth Krommes.

I'll admit that the cover art was equally appealing to me before ever reading a word in the book or about it. Beth Krommes has mastered a distinctive scratchboard technique that marks her work with a recognizable style. She draws black and white images into scratchboard paper, then transfers them onto paper and applies watercolor. She creates scenes that are both graphic in design and yet utterly natural and richly detailed. Take a look at her illustrator page HERE to see how clearly her style can be recognized, yet she adapts it and compliments a wide variety of subjects. Her SWIRL BY SWIRL and  BEFORE MORNING with Joyce Sidman were my first experiences with books illustrated by KROMMES, and I've become a dedicated fan since then. 

In those titles, as with WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH, the text is written in verse of the highest quality. Using a pattern that introduces new natural entry points and creatures with callbacks to previously introduced wildlife, the text offers rhymed lines in phrases that parallel cumulative text with less predictability and a superb but seemingly spontaneous sequencing of lines. "Where the deer slip through" is the resolve line on several pages, slipping in with the  subtlety that deer achieve when appearing and disappearing from our surroundings. 

From the dawn opening throughout the day and on to the woodland view of a star-filled sky, the humans (indoors and out), foliage, and fauna are portrayed in lines and scenes that invite  readers to explore and extend their views, to appreciate the shifting angles and perspectives, to associate these densely articulate images with your/our own experiences when, and where, the deer slip through into our lives. 

Spend some time with this one, and I suggest you check out other KROMMES titles to fully appreciate not only the visuals and text of each picture book, but also the wise decisions in pairing such distinctive illustration style with powerful verse. I feel confident that you'll be recommending these to others and sharing them as often as possible. 

And may the peace be with you! 

THE MUSEUM ON THE MOON: A Lunar Lyrical Picture Book

MOONSHOWER
Imprint ofBUSHEL & PECK, 2023

There are picture books aplenty about the moon.  Some are purely lyrical and others are firmly informative. In the case of this lovely offering, readers get the benefit of both approaches. THE MUSEUM ON THE MOON: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface is written by Irene Latham, illustrated by Miriam Wares. Both talented creators are established in their picture book careers, with Latham's success as a poet leading to awards and fans. Her poetry in each case is in conversation with well-written brief expository passages that explain the history and consequence of various human/Moon engagements since the Apollo program.

The illustrations capture the ethereal expanses of the Moon as well as the interpretive approaches to the factual details reported. In a few cases the art incorporates an apparent contemporary young person, appearing as they would on Earth, in company with an astronaut. There is a grand range of the kinds of detritus that mankind has managed to deposit on that distant globe. Many were intentionally prepared and placed one the Moon's surface as markers/mementos, including a plaque, a canister of ashes, and a family portrait. Many itmes were used while exploring but left behind according to plan, providing available weight for returning rock and other samples. 

Some examples of the trash on the Moon were familiar to me, since I lived through those years of Moon exploration. I and countless other Earthlings followed each step, literally, and each moment from landing to leaving caused us to hold our breath and hope. Even so, several residue items surprised me. One was a small gold olive branch to symbolize our hopes for peace. The reflecting mirrors that remained are used to establish the distances from Earth (within a centimeter!). I appreciated surprises, and also very appropriate poetic choices in tone, flow, structure, and voice  to suit each revelatory page of information. The conclusion raises a hopeful voice for a future of Human/Moon development with accountability and positivity.

This would be a wonderful addition for classrooms, libraries, and poetry collections.

WIND IS A DANCE: Poetry Meets Meteorology

 I've been a fan of WATER IS WATER (by the talented creators, Miranda Paul and Jason Chin) since it released more than a decade ago. Its lightly lyrical (and brightly rhymed) text dances across gorgeously illustrated pages while revealing the stages of the water cycle as the emotional and essential role of water on this planet and in our lives. This offering did not include side bar expository text, but it did provide informative back matter. It has been a consistently popular book, and it should be.

Kids Can Press, 2024

To compare this new picture book to WATER IS WATER is high praise indeed, and I don't do so lightly. WIND IS A DANCE is written by Debra Kempf Shumaker and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. This extended poem (unrhymed, but liltingly lyrical) moves from page to page through metaphorical comparisons of wind to familiar experiences and encounters. 

Wind is a dance...

Wind is a supportive teammate or ornery opponent...

... a whisk    ...a top    ...a feather  

and more. In each case a few comparative or descriptive phrases follow. On most pages, a brief inset box or bubble is included to name the types of winds (tornado, hurricane, etc.) with a bit of scientifically accessible details. 

The back matter includes a chart that clearly reveals that accelerating and sustained wind speed is a crucial factor in the escalating ways wind can be named and can affect the physical world. The chart also has a column to  describe/name each level, and to note impacts on land, and on sea. On the facing page is a brief description of wind-measuring instruments and sources (both websites and books). The author's "more about" section provides great explainers about various wind phenomena and where they generally occur.

The above are all well and good. I'm a fan of gorgeous writing and also of authentic, accessible science to explain our world experiences. But these are elevated further in several ways through well-suited illustration. The colors used are eye-catching but natural, feeling familiar and safe. The impacts of various winds, though sometimes dramatic or even scary, are mitigated by elements that anchor the metaphors in images- and excited puppy (which we all know can cause havoc!), a spinning top, a whirling whisk, or a delicate feather. Each wind expression allows for reasonable resolve, as is always true in our lived experiences. 

Within those images are effective movement elements: flowing hair, dancing children, swirling leaves, and snow-drifting blizzard. Within each spread, individuals shown are delightfully diverse in skin tone, body size and shape, gender. As a full experience (the way in which EVERY picture book should be read in a first round, and in many successive readings) this offers a beautiful and satisfying experience. The fact that this book also provides information and resources to return to for science and nature investigations is a bonus that should not be ignored. 

Overall, I genuinely encourage you to read this book and share it with young readers across man ages. It will blow you away. 

Ready for a Reading Road Trip? LEAFY LANDMARKS!

 

SLEEPING BEAR PRESS, 2024

With a few weeks of summer still ahead, and a gorgeous fall forecast (quote me- I'm predicting it!), you'll want to know about this remarkable new picture book, LEAFY LANDMARKS: Travels with Trees, written by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Anne Lambelet. I have nothing but praise for this new picture book which is structured with individual poems about specific iconic trees, paralleled by informational sidebars providing details and background about that tree, beyond the rich content of the poems themselves. Each poem is also in a particular poetic form that is named and explained briefly, and each is masterful in execution. 

The premise is revealed in end papers that feature the named trees and poetic forms on leaves with brief descriptions, followed by a double-spread map of the continental USA showing the trees, their approximate locations, and the coast-to-coast-and-back route that the imagined explorers are traveling. The explorers on this journey represent a diverse and delightful family, with others along the way equally representing our mosaic of Americans. 

Some  trees are familiar (Japanese Cherry Blossom trees in Washington, D.C.) while most will be exciting discoveries and offer new connections to familiar history. In the same way, the poetic forms range from those that will be familiar to even young children (list poems, narrative poems) to forms that offer entirely new challenges and fun. 

The blend of poetry and informational text is well-balanced and appealing, moving readers from the lyrical lilt of a poem that evokes emotions and reactions to the nonfiction content that is accessible and often intriguing. The only drawback to this lovely new offering is my question about how it will be shelved-- with poetry, with nature, with history, with geography, or...? The good news is that Leafy Landmarks offers such appeal to individual readers and for use by teacher and librarians, it is not likely to be left for long on whatever shelf is used. Give it a look and plan to hit the road!

 Whether you and your own carload of leaf-lookers attempt cross-country travels like these, or locate one of these remarkable living-history trees within a day-trip of home, just learning about them should be an inspiring mind-trip for readers of any age.

Short and Sweet: A Haiku Classic for April

 

Lee & Low Books, 1998

Pause with me for this brief review of, and reflection on,  COOL MELONS- TURN TO FROGS: THE Life and Poems of ISSA, with story and haiku translations by Matthew Gollub, illustrations by Kazuko G. Stone. Why? Because April is National Poetry Month. Because haiku is an accessible poetic form that offers peace and grace and calm. Because it is spring. Because the life of poet ISSA is fascinating. 

Just because.

The life of iconic 19th century Japanese Haiku poet ISSA is portrayed in a combination of narrative text and actual haiko poems he wrote throughout his life. The simple storytelling grace of the narratives fully complements and showcases the featured poems, with vertical illustration and the poem itself written in Japanese characters, top to bottom, on facing pages. In total, the book provides an immersive cultural experience for young readers, providing connection to Issa as a child and then later in his life. 

Originally released in 1998, this treatment of Issa's biography and translations of his poems is timeless and tender, appealing to readers and audiences of any age.

As promised in the title of this post, it is short and sweet. But just in case you are longing for a bit more on the subject, here are some prior posts to explore:

Haiku: HERE, HERE, and HERE.

POETRY: HERE, HERE, and HERE.

These are only a few of many past posts featuring poetry, and they stretch beyond a decade. But as with this featured title, now more than a quarter century in print, the very best in poetry is timeless. Please accept my invitation to PAUSE in your own busy lives and see if you agree!

I AM GRAVITY: A Welcome Companion to I AM SMOKE

 

Tilbury House Publishers, April, 2024

In case you missed it, check out my thoughts about a remarkable picture book from 2021: I AM SMOKE, here. The portrayal used a unique voice and poetic, personified narrative for such a ubiquitous, sometimes nostalgic and other times unwelcome, even tragic part of our lives, SMOKE. That picture book has been hailed as groundbreaking. That's not just my opinion. I (and many others) have been awaiting a companion picture book on some equally challenging abstract, universal experience. It's exciting that I AM GRAVITY is arriving soon. It does not disappoint. Both are written by Henry L. Herz and illustrated by Merce Lopez. 

In I AM GRAVITY, Herz voices a universal force (literally) that's infinitely more complex than smoke. With text that explores familiar daily life and star formation within the same spreads, the power, necessity, and magnificence of GRAVITY in our lives becomes vividly clear. Both concepts and images are illustrated with fluidity and subtle detail that offers something for every age and background on this subject. The limited colors allow gravity's invisibility to be "shown" or suggested through a sense of graceful movement lines and consistent color that catches the eye against neutral background shades. From the cover (ball catch and bouncing hair) to remarkably balanced rocks to black hole activity and star formation, gravity is somehow made visible. 

That's the alchemy of picture books as a format: text and images achieving more than either could accomplish alone. In this case it is also the nearly magical achievement of these two creators to turn potentially mundane scenes into transformational connections that evoke awe, appreciation, and  awareness of a vital life force that we rarely notice without the attention of such an effective homage.

It does not do justice to the complexity and appeal in this new picture book to offer excerpts, and yet I can't resist. Here's one example:

"I tether the moon to the Earth. High tide.

Low tide. I wave to you with the oceans."

Henry L. Herz, author

These two seemingly simple lines reveal the lyrical appeal and the accessibility of this material even to very young audiences. It also sparks curiosity in older readers and invites further exploration of the multilayered science elements and interconnections of gravity in everything we know and do. A few pages of back matter provide direct information for readers and their families. This is an excellent example of WHY and HOW picture books of such high quality have much to offer for readers of many ages, as well as purposeful uses within language arts and content area classrooms. A huge plus is that the young people whose lives are shown in these images are diverse and multicultural, additionally emphasizing the global significance of this topic.

The well-known librarian, Betsy Bird, shares her thoughts about this pair of books and an interview with the author, HERE.

Excerpt: “Holy moly. I think you’ve just written something even better than I Am Smoke.”   – Betsy Bird, librarian and blogger for School Library Journal

Check out the book trailer!

I appreciate and welcome the opportunity to have an advance look at this, (without promise of review) and I hope you'll read more about it, request it at your library, and (pre)order for gifts, your home library, or your classroom. You won't regret it. 

"Speed Round": a Few Picture Books Featured During NCTE 2023

 

HOLIDAY HOUSE, 2023

To make up for several missing weeks of posts, this time I will spotlight several picture books that followed me home from my recent NCTE Conference. To name any single title, author, session, or special event as the best would not do justice to the well-planned array of experiences offered. Even so, I'll admit that joining the Notable Children's Book Awards Luncheon was unforgettable. I was seated at a table hosted by Holiday House, showcasing their informational poetry picture book THE DIRT BOOK: Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet. Author David L. Harrison was a special guest of the publisher and I was delighted to take part in some lively conversation. Big bonus?  I received a signed copy of his book!

I reviewed this delightful picture book earlier this year, a library copy, and this is what I had to say at that time:

"What's better than a collection of poems in a variety of forms that informs and explores the various lives (from roots to earthworms to mice) that abide mostly underground. Easy, right, to conclude "out of sight out of mind"? Not so in this case. Sharing the common habitat of "dirt", each exploration entertains and amazes in ways both familiar and unexpected. The " What's better?" part is in the trim size and art design that requires readers to turn the book 90 degrees and view the spreads from very long top-to-bottom expanses. The dark-toned illustrations also remind and invite readers to consider things that don't sparkle or flash, but may well, often do, prove to be treasures of nature."

That's all true, and now I happily add that this is a 2023 Notable Picture Book of Poetry!

Random House Studio, 2023 

During those whirlwind four days I also attended a fantastic panel session that included the noted, multi-award-winning, and always inspiring Melissa Stewart. Her presentation did not disappoint, and I later lined up to meet her and receive a signed copy of her latest non-fiction picture book, WHALE FALL: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem.

This is both luminous and enlightening in its informative text, the fluid and movement-infused illustrations, and the remarkable facts of this after-life contribution of whales. Their biodegrading processes have served the ocean ecology since whales first existed and yet evidence of a whale fall was  only discovered and study begun in recent decades. This is one astonishingly powerful picture book I urge you to read and share.Everyone should know this powerful portrait of life.

GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2023

In a light and lively twist, author Nadia L. Hohn shared her latest release, MALAIKA, CARNIVAL QUEEN. In this title, Malaika continues to splash her warm-hearted and colorful joy of life in CARNIVAL season. As in earlier titles featuring Malaika, a contemporary story is woven with local language, culture, family history, and an innovative, engaging personality that sparkles on the page and leaps into young readers' lives. 

These three varied  titles range across library categories, target ages, and purposes.These are only a first sampling of the exciting books and authors I encountered in a few short days. I promise to return soon with some more special offerings and background stories. Meanwhile, this trio of beauties are available in libraries and for holiday gifting. With such a variety of topics and treatments, there must be someone in your life who would love to find one or more of these in their lives, right?

LULLABY FOR THE KING: A Glorious New Picture Book

 

Nikki Grimes

 When NYTimes best-selling author/poet Nikki Grimes writes any book for any audience, I pay attention. I hope you do, too. Her titles for middle grade, older youth, and adults have produced legions of avid fans. Count me among them. Her picture books, though, are my favorites. If you missed my recent post about a breathtaking, heart-wrapping release is HERE.

Her text always enchant my ears with their lyrical musicality, whether rhymed or free verse. Each word earns its place on the page and invites multiple re-readings by families, librarians, teachers, and young readers. Her text, from beginning to end, encompasses masterful storytelling, powerful imagery, emotional connections, and inspiring insights. Take every aspect of the above praise and add to it the importance of the subjects she addresses and I'll stand aside while you rush to your library or add her work to your personal wishlists and gift requests.

Beaming Books. October 10, 2023 

LULLABY FOR THE KING  is, on first glance, a glorious celebration of the birth of Christ, making it a wonderful choice for the Christmas season. That was my expectation as I opened the cover. (Look at that magnificent cover. More about the illustrator Michelle Carlos later.) That's all it took for me to recognize how much more this new offering provides for readers with any (or no) Christian background.

The glory of this seemingly simple story unfolds on magically colorful double page spreads, each featuring a member of the animal kingdom who've received word of the birth of a king. They spontaneously form a caravan that travels "through wilderness, uphill and down, for hours that spun into days". Each has selected a unique gift to deliver when they eventually arrive.

Page by page, stanza by stanza, Grimes writes in concise free verse  graced with luscious word choices, eloquent gift descriptions, ear-pleasing assonance, and rhythm that reflects the steady pace of a determined caravan of familiar and less-familiar animals of land, water, and air. 

The suspension of any hint of predator-prey relationships provides that inspirational element I referenced above. This is not a simple lion-and-lamb connection, but one of the power of sharing a higher mission and values. Their arrival  does not signal the conclusion, only setting the stage for the deeper aspects of this original tale. The pages that follow their arrival celebrate the role of SOUND, from the nightingale's gift of song, to the notes of instruments given as gifts, to the choir of angels hovering above the manger. The final page turn features the animals assembled at the feet of the holy family, the lullaby text and notes above them, with that translucent choir of angels topping the page. The simple verse and melody convince me that this will become a favorite new Christmas carol for many.

Attempting to illustrate such a magnificent manuscript must have been intimidating, but artist Michelle Carlos created images and scenes that matched and even elevated the power of this story, page after page. Using a mesmerizing balance of realistic detail and srurreal colorations, each scene reinforces Grimes's imaginative descriptions of gifts and creatures as well as the mood of reverence and anticipated celebration that drives this caravan forward. The endpapers are the exception to the interior vibrant eruption of color. Instead the opening end papers, nearly identical to the final papers, are rendered in subtle desert shades and tones, nearly monochromatic,  that allow the entire caravan to proceed through dessert sand valleys and dunes. Their black silhouettes and shadows emphasize the variety and distinct differences among them. The opening papers include their later-described gifts in each figure, while the closing papers show the animals proceeding without those elements. The opening sky in this scene glows with an infusion of fuchsia-tones, while the sky in the closing papers is a swirl of new-day blue. 

Now, about my prior claim of the universal appeal and theme of this book, despite its clearly Christian/Christmas story. I hope that my praise in the above notes makes it clear that excellence of this level is not subject to boundaries or discrete identities. The glory of the language itself and the beauty of the illustrations make it a treasure in any hands. More deeply, the sense of higher purpose, peaceful cooperation, and the value of individuality and potentiality provide inspiration to anyone, any age. Another universal concept is the way in which beauty (both visual and musical) invites us to savor and explore, again and again. This will certainly be true, regardless of backgrounds, with readers across ages and holiday seasons making fascinating new discoveries on each page and in each image with each return. A great example is the happy discovery of this elegant design for the hard case under the paper cover:

Hard Case Cover ("undie award conciliate!)

The release for this is October 10, 2023, but it can be ordered in advance from then publisher, HERE, from indie bookstores HERE, or at online sales sources. I have no doubt that the initial printing could sell out before the holidays arrive, so make sure you get your own copy and copies for gifts as soon as possible.

A WALK IN THE WOODS with a Brilliant Creative Team

Neal Porter Books, 2023
Holiday House Publishing

I've been eagerly awaiting a chance to read and closely consider this recent release by what can only be called a "dream team" of talent: Nikki Grimes, Jerry Pinkney, and Brian Pinkney. Stars and raves have accumulated in the short time since its release. Those will continue to pour in as award season approaches. (You can bet on it!). With these stellar names attached and such widely reported praise, it's not a book that "needs" my support or encouragement for readers to seek it out. 

Even so, I'm compelled to join the chorus of praise for so many reasons. Some creators' names guarantee my interest. These three, individually, would each do so. In combination, anything resulting from their collaboration would be irresistible. 

A WALK IN THE WOODS adds to that appeal an evocative natural setting. A wooded area rich with personal and cultural history, wildlife, flora, and glimpses of the Hudson River is the stage for fraught subject matter: a son's grief over the death of his father. The cover reveals that the illustration approach is both familiar and unique for those of us who have read every picture book illustrated by either Jerry or Brian Pinkney. The father of this remarkably talented duo, Jerry, died in October, 2021. Given the pace of publication/production for picture books I imagined this might well be his final project, and perhaps one that involved his son, Brian, intentionally, possibly due to failing health. That assumption was from my unknowing distance. As the release approached the true story-behind-the-story was shared widely, revealing the truth of this book's origins and completion. 

Author/poet Nikki Grimes has been a close friend to illustrator/author Jerry Pinkney and his family for fifty years. It was only in recent years that they realized they had never created a book together and set out to change that fact. I won't reveal more about the genesis of this story and intended art, nor of the way the project was interrupted by Jerry's death. That backstory has become readily available, and both Grimes and Jerry's son Brian Pinkney shared details and their personal responses to the process in backmatter notes. The work itself is breathtakingly beautiful in theme, narrative, poems, and illustrations. Learning about the mystical sequence of events weaving through the lives of these people and the life of this book gives me chills. I suspect it will for you, as well.

The book opens with an inset illustration and a double spread of the father/son subjects, followed by a single page spread of the grieving boy at his desk with his mother behind his shoulder- all before the title page is displayed. Those images and the following pages are a response to the writing completed by Grimes, with the tight sketches and layouts completed by Jerry before his passing. These form the scaffolding for son Brian's color applications: painted swirls and focused blends of hues, tones, and movement that lift those sketches from line art to living, lovely illustrations, filled with emotion and tension. An illustration/book design bonus is that the gorgeous jacket covers a richly detailed sketches on the hard case front and back. 

The story opens with the pictured son longing for some message of inspiration from his deceased father, reflecting the pain and struggle of loss in his expressions and postures that enhance and support the poignant text provided by Grimes. The original sketches took into account each page design with single, double, and three-quarter page art spreads, allowing the text for each passage and page to resonate with its own pace and power. The lyrical narrative and the treasured poetry/sketch samples (found following the father's message and map of the woods) are direct, delicate, and deep-spirited.

Grief is evident throughout, but healing and hope move the boy and the readers throughout their journey through the woods. The final single spread reflects that opening spread of the boy with his mother behind his shoulder. In this case, though, the grief of both son and mother appear to be eased by examining the treasures left behind. The tender wisdom of the boy's father is apparent, knowing how to draw his son back to their shared walks, to reveal and remember what he could find in those paths and encounters, providing important traces of their shared experiences.

It is not possible to separate my praise for the text from the images. Grimes has demonstrated her gift for evoking and exploring the deepest emotions of young people throughout her career. The symbiosis of her sensitive lyrical language and both Pinkneys' lovingly completed illustrations is utterly powerful. I often take joy in teasing apart details and examples from fine works, considering the alchemy of creation. Despite my eagerness to examine this book carefully and share my reactions with readers, the magical quality of its language and lilting illustrations makes me reluctant to describe or excerpt any element of its contents. It deserves to be read as a whole, to be treasured as the work of art it is.

 My analysis about text or images doesn't begin to do justice to the direct messages from Grimes and Pinkney in those back notes, nor would I dare synthesize or paraphrase any examples from the remarkable walk and resulting moments of change. Experiencing this book in totality on its own merit is the way to appreciate it. Even so, it's not giving anything away to quote a closing line from the book:

"Dad knew I needed this walk in the woods."

For those who have dealt with grief (most of us), and those rare few who have not yet faced it directly, this is a must-have read and collection addition. I spent about an hour in an indie bookstore this week, where I found several copies of WALK IN THE WOODS on prominent display. After browsing only a short time, they had all been purchased before I returned to the shelf. Don't miss out.

POETRY Picture Books: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

Technically, these are not both poetry books. In an award category, the first would be considered a poetry collection by a single author. The second is a concept picture book in rhyme. Both are illustrated in ways that enhance the text, both are smile-inducing, and both will appeal to a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and can be shared for many purposes. 

CAMERON KIDS, 2023

ANIMALS IN PANTS is written by Suzy Levinson and illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell This first picture book is, in case you had any doubt, the RIDICULOUS side of the title in the post. I spent many happy minutes simply imagining how the author/poet first explored that premise... What would I have to say about animals in pants? In poems? 

Well, the cover offers hints (and ha-ha's) to invite readers to open up and explore the poems and images inside. The front end papers pose the central question;

"WHAT? You've never seen an animal in pants?"

By the way, the closing end papers suggest there could be a sequel, with this question: "What? You've never seen animals in hats?" After reading this collection I'd happily enjoy that newer offering if it comes to pass.

Let me just say that the star of the title page is a bear in pants who reminds me of a lovable character in one of the earliest picture book collections of my childhood. So I was a fan from the start. Opposite that page are the dedications by the author (To Dan: I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LEGGINGS), and by the illustration pair, to their nieces and nephews (THANK YOU FOR WEARING PANTS). With a start like that, nothing could disappoint! 

An array of animals from the familiar (cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, etc.) to the exotic (snakes, antelopes, yaks) and concluding with a clever poem incorporating a surprise tailor.Each poem could become the favorite of a variety of readers of many ages, many lines are memorable enough to become memes, to spread smiles into grins, on to "let me read this to you" funny. So, this, dear readers, is my nominee as a ridiculously irresistible picture book of poems.

LITTLE BROWN & COMPANY, 2022

Next up, WHEN I'M WITH YOU, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler, lands squarely in the SUBLIME half of the title. I have come to expect the very best from either of these creators, regardless of their partners in picture book creating. But when they pair their talents the results are often magical. (If you've missed earlier comments about their work together, check HERE for my thoughts about WHEREVER YOU GO and HERE for BE BRAVE!) 

MIller's picture book success is indisputable, and she has also established a strong following for her workshops and webinars to support and coach other writers of picture book text. In those settings and in program presentations I've heard her say that she seldom writes in rhyme. I'll share my thought that when she does, though, she knocks it out of the park. In several of those titles, her rhymed text works perfectly for the purpose of the book, while actively developing the full narrative for the story arc as it unfolds, page by page. in this case, that is true, but it is also true that individual stanzas could stand alone as independent poems that might be memorized and recited by a delighted child who falls in love with the language and sense of those lines. 

An example of one stanza I adore (among many of these) is this:

"You're the numbers of my set,

all the suns I don't know yet.

But if one plus one makes two,

I'm the one who goes with you."

If you assume that every stanza repeats that line prompt, you underestimate the skill and craft that guides Miller's writing, and Wheeler's visual narrative that propel these charming and diverse characters, including a dog-buddy pair, through many life experiences. The ending is satisfying and inspired, making this a kid-friendly picture book that's also a brilliant choice for friends of any age. That might be a friend moving away, a mentor-mentee gift of thanks, a parent-child gift as relationships mature beyond dependence to friendships, or an end-of-school-year gift to a very special teacher. This, though, is why I call it sublime. Whoever the audience, whatever the purpose, this is a picture book you won't want to miss.