Bonny Becker visits A Picture Book A Day

    

     I'm really excited to have our first author visit to A Picture Book A Day. Bonny Becker is the author of A Visitor for Bear, winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award and Amazon's Picture Book of the Year.  She has written three more Mouse and Bear books, including A Birthday for Bear, A Bedtime for Bear, and her latest release, The Sniffles for Bear, which we just featured in our blog last month.

    Hi Bonny!

I'm thrilled to have the chance to interview you, but a disclaimer here...it's my first interview ever...so here it goes:

1)    Where did the idea for the Bear and Mouse characters come from?

BB: It started with Mouse. Oddly enough, I was actually thinking about how some people seem to have the same problem show up again and again in their lives. You know, the names and faces might change, but somehow they always end up with the bad boss or the bad boyfriend. Being a writer, I guess, the metaphor of a mouse who won’t go away popped into my head.

      That seemed like such a fun idea that I immediately set out to find the right character for Mouse to torment. After running through some ideas—a lion, an elephant, a human—a bear came to mind. And I was off and running!

2)    Do you identify with any of you characters?

BB: Oh, yes. One of my books is “An Ant’s Day Off.” I was a busy mom of two and working out of the home at the times. And I definitely wanted to be an ant taking the day off! Another book “Holbrook: A Lizard’s Tale” is definitely about my feelings about being an artist (writer).

     I have a lot of Bear in me, but I have to admit I’m getting more and more Mouse-like as I get older. My kids tease me I’ll end up being one of those old ladies who wear Christmas sweaters.

     3)    Do you feel pressure to continue to come up with new ideas for Bear and Mouse stories? Are there more sequels on the works? 

BB:There are two more Bear and Mouse books in the works for a total of six. And I do feel pressure to come up with new ideas. There are a lot of ways I can think of to torment poor Bear, but I wanted something a little bit fresh or different to happen with each book. I’m kind of moving Bear along in terms of becoming a social animal! So, I want to work with just the right ideas not necessarily the obvious ideas.

4)    I find it really hard to decide but, which Bear and Mouse book is your favorite? Why?

BB: I find it hard, too. But I think it would be “A Visitor for Bear.” Probably because I love the way Mouse keeps popping up. It lends itself to a nice slap-stick build and I like how Mouse turns Bear around by just appreciating Bear.

      5)    What books influenced you as a picture book writer?

BB: Oh, boy, that’s a hard one. I read hundreds of picture books not only as a mom, but once I decided to try to write one, I would check out dozens of picture books at a time from the library. I particularly liked the “classics” from the 40s, 50s and 60s like “Goodnight Moon”  by Margaret Wise Brown, “Make Way for Ducklings” and “Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey, the Little Bear books by Elsa Minarik, and authors like Dr. Suess, William Steig, and Arnold Lobel. There are many great writers and books in picture books.

      One book I have to mention is “A Hole is to Dig” by Ruth Krauss. For no particular reason than that I liked it, I decided to type out the text of this book just to try to get a sense of how it worked. It was incredibly useful for me to do that. I feel like it helped me start to get the way rhythm and compression worked in picture books.

6)    What are 3 books every adult should read to their kids?

BB: Aaack! This one is even harder.  “Charlotte’s Web,” of course. The Narnia series. Of course, kids get exposure to these books already. Maybe something more obscure like “The Wind in the Willows” which my father read to us when we were little.

  

And lastly...

7)    What will Bear and Mouse dress up as for Halloween?

BB: Ha! I may be too late in answering this in time for Halloween, but Mouse will be a pirate and Bear will refuse to dress up, but his hat will be so funny that people will think it’s his costume.  

     Thanks again to Bonny Becker for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check www.provatoevents.com.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything by Linda Williams
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
1986

      "Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything!"  This is one of my favorite read alouds to do around Halloween.  A little old lady walks into the forest looking for herbs and spices.  It gets dark and when she's making her way back to her cottage, a pair of shoes are going "CLOMP, CLOMP" right in the middle of the path.  She tells them "get out of my way, you two big shoes! I'm not afraid of you."  And walks down the path. The story continues following this pattern of events, running into pants, a shirt, gloves, hat and finally a pumpkin head.  Each of them makes its own distinct onomatopeic sound.  As the story progresses and the old lady keeps going, the list of clothing items that gets in her way builds up, repeating each sound over and over.  She never gets scared and at the end gives the pumpkin and the clothes a new goal in life, scaring crows instead of old ladies.
        The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything is perfect for a read aloud because the repetition of the pattern and the special effect sounds will have young readers making the noises and acting them out.  The illustrations by Williams are a perfect match.  I can't wait to read it in class tomorrow.

Substitute Creacher

hris Gall

Substitute Creacher by Chris Gall

2011

     It's Halloween, Ms. Jenkins is not at school and they have sent in a substitute teacher.  When the substitute walked in he was green, with one eye on his front and three on his back, tentacles for legs and two long arms.  He spoke in rhyme and warned the kids that he was there to teach them a lesson about what happens to misbehaved children.  He tells the story of how he has being doing this for forty-nine years:

I've visited schools

I've collected some tales

whose lessons are grave

about boys and girls

who didn't behave.

They'll give you the goose bumps.

They'll shiver your skin.

Now pay strict attention:

It's time we begin!

     The creature tells them stories about kids like Keith who ate so much glue, things started to stick to him; Kylie, who drew during a test until a dragon she drew came out the page; Hank, who dumped a shark inside the classroom's fishbowl that destroyed the whole room.  And then there was Chris who "liked to trick for his treats: Dressed like a monster, he scared kids for sweets." He stole candy from a magical gnome who cursed Chris, never allowing him to go home again...becoming the substitute creacher.  There is a happy ending: the substitute creacher shares all the candy in his bag with the students and gives the last piece to the groundskeeper who resembles the magical gnome. As he walks away, he turns back into a kid and finds his way home.

     Substitute Creacher is an intelligent and entertaining read aloud.  The illustrations are filled with details to enjoy in multiple readings (try finding the gnome along in different pages).  Great read to share in the classroom during Halloween.

The Boy Who Cried Ninja

The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex Latimer

2011

     Nobody believed Tim when he told the truth. He told his mother that a ninja had taken the last slice of cake. He explained to his father that an astronaut had taken the hammer.  He told his grandfather that  a giant squid had eaten his book bag.  They all thought he was lying so Tim was punished.  So when a pirate shows up and drinks all the tea, a sunburned crocodile breaks the house's antenna, and a time-traveling monkey throws pencils at Grampa, Tim lied and said that it was all his fault. And of course, he gets punished.  "If he told the truth, he was in trouble, and if he lied he was in trouble." So he came up with a brilliant plan: throw a huge party and invite the ninja, the astronaut, the giant squid, the pirate, even the sunburned croc and the time-traveling monkey.  What will his family say when the unexpected guests show up? 

     The Boy Who Cried Ninja is a clever reinvention of the classic tale of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  It has a surprising twist that makes it fresh and funny.  The illustrations by Latimer gives it a modern, cool, feel.  I love the randomness of the characters...sunburned crocodile and a time-traveling monkey? Love it.

Pirate vs. Pirate

Pirate vs. Pirate by Mary Quattlebaum

Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

2011

     Bad Bart was the biggest, burliest pirate in the Atlantic.  Mean Mo was the maddest, mightiest pirate in the Pacific. Bad Bart wondered if he was the burliest in the world.  Mean Mo wondered if she was the mightiest in the world.  Both pirates decided to set sail find out and, since the world is round, they met in the middle. Their first encounter wasn't pretty:

"Ahoy and avast!" roared Bad Bart. "Swing aside and let me pass."

Swing yerself, ye scurvy dog!' Mean Mo roared right back."

     And the insults started flying: Deck swabber. Grog swiller. Landlubber. Bilge rat. Sea skunk. Gentleman. Lady.

     Their crews decided that they needed to figure out who was the burliest and mightiest by competing head to head. They swam, hurl cannon balls, climbed, and arm wrestled.  But at the end of each contest the result was always the same: a tie.  Their final head to head, counting their treasure, reveals to them how much they have in common.

     Pirate vs. Pirate is a delightfully entertaining love story.  Using pirate lingo and gorgeous illustrations Quattlebaum and Boiger take us on a great high seas adventure.  I loved finding a female pirate who could go head to head with Bad Bart!  It's a fun read aloud that will give you the opportunity to practice your best pirate accent and will entertain pirate and non-pirate fans alike.

     

All the Way to America

All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino
2011

     Dan Yaccarino tells the story of his family starting with his great-grandfather's journey from Sorrento, Italy to New York City.  When his great-grandfather came to New York he brought with him a little shovel he used in the fields in Italy.  As the different generations of Yaccarinos prosper in the US, the shovel gets passed down from fathers to sons always becoming a part of their new life and endeavors.  The shovels goes from the fields, to being used to measure flour and sugar, dried fruits, olives (as the family became store owners and restaurant owners), to pour salt outside of Dan's father's barbershop, all the way back to the ground as a shovel used by Dan's son, Michael, to grow vegetables in their city apartment's terrace.  Through all the years, the message passed down through the generations of Yaccarinos is to work hard and value family.
     All the Way to America is a moving family tale and a great read-aloud to introduce personal narratives as well as immigration units. It will be a fantastic conversation starter, that will have kids asking their parents where do their families come from...At the end of the day, we are a nation of immigrants.  

Room on the Broom

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
2001

     Room on the Broom is on of my favorite read alouds to do around Halloween.  Written in rhyme, it tells the story of a witch flying on her broom with her cat and cauldron.  When the wind blows her hat off her head, she's forced to land.  A dog finds her hat, gives it back, and asks:

"I'm a dog, as keen as can be.

Is there room on the broom 

for a dog like me?

"Yes! cried the witch,

and the dog clambered on.

The witch tapped the broomstick and

whoosh! they were gone.

     This type of scene repeats, with the witch losing her bow and her wand and adding a bird and a frog to the broom's passengers.  With all that extra weight, the broom breaks in two and the witch is attacked by a dragon whose favorite meal includes witch with french fries.  Her animal companions come to the rescue and soon they're on their way riding on a brand new and upgraded broomstick.

     The rhymes by Donaldson flow with such ease that it's a total pleasure to read them aloud.  The story has wonderful vocabulary and repetition to encourage the participation of young readers who will soon memorize ""whoosh! they were gone."  The illustrations by Axel Scheffler are delightful.  Donaldson and Scheffler are one of my favorite author/illustrator pairs.  A perfect Halloween read aloud.