Blog Anniversary

    
     I started blogging a year ago today. It was my midwinter break and I was reading a book on writing children's books. At the end of the first chapter it gave me some "homework": to read a bunch of picture books and find one that I really liked, one that I didn't and explain why.  I soon realized I couldn't verbalize the reasons why some picture books appealed to me and some just didn't.  I also noticed that books that were being regarded as classics, I had never read. Granted I didn't grow up in the US, but still, for somebody that loved children's literature as much as I do, it was embarrassing to admit that there was so much I had never read or even heard of (I won't forget the look of utter disbelief in a friend's face when he asked me if I had read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and I said that I hadn't).  And so this blog was born out of the desire to educate myself about what was out there in the picture book world, what worked and what didn't.  
     In the process, I have fallen in love with picture books...completely in love.  I no longer like picture books. I love them. I need them.  I get a rush out of my weekly trips to the library, excited to see how many books are waiting for me in my hold pile (I'm pretty proud of the fact that I request so many books a week, that my lovely Peekskill librarians don't even bother to put my books in the "hold's drawer," but keep them on a separate pile).   
     I have learned so much during this past year. This "thing" has changed me completely.  Let me count the ways:
1. Going to my town's library multiple times a week made me feel like a much more active part of my community.  I got to know my librarians and I feel a lot more connected to my town. 
2. I'm a proud member of the Nerdy Book Club. The daily emails have become a part of my morning routine and the constant book recommendations have exposed me to new writers and new favorites.
3. I have connected with an amazing Twitter community.  I'm constantly learning from them and I feel like I have friends all over the place. I've never met any of them face to face (not yet), but I think of them as dear friends.
4. I've become a better teacher. Reading so much has allowed me to share a lot more with my students, connecting them with books and opening new lines of dialogue.  
5. I've met writers and illustrators, and even interviewed a couple of them. Now, for a book nerd like me, that has been as cool as going backstage to see your favorite rock band.
    So there you go.  I thought after a year I would stop writing this blog but now that seems completely impossible to me. This is such a big part of my life that I can't imagine not doing it anymore. I might not post everyday as I've done so far, but I'll be here most days. I have to. I want to.

Extra Yarn

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published by Balzer + Bray
2012

     "In a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys," a little girl and her dog found a box with yarn of every color.  Anabelle first knitted herself a sweater, and then one for her dog Mars too. "But there was still extra yarn."  So Anabelle begins to knit something for everyone, and everything, bringing color to her drab town.
     Extra Yarn has it all:  fantastic design and tale full of wonder, magic, even an evil archduke.  Jon Klassen's illustrations are wonderful (Oh! how I've missed you Bear and Rabbit...who needs a red hat when you can have multicolored hand knitted sweaters?).  This one is an early favorite for this year's top books.

And Then It's Spring

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano
Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Published by Roaring Brook Press
2012

     Winter is loosening its grip and outdoors everything is brown.  A boy and his dog (and a rabbit and a turtle) head out carrying a bag of seeds.  And then they wait. They wait for rain and sun.  "And it is still brown, but a hopeful, very possible sort of brown."  And they wait a bit more, looking for any sign of green. They worry about the little seeds and what could have happened to them to keep them from growing. Wait some more.  And then it's spring.
    And Then It's Spring is delightful, lyrical, and sweet. It's about patience and dedication.  It reminded me of one of my favorite picture books, The Carrot Seed,  and that's a really good thing.  The illustrations by the Caldecott Medal winner Erin E. Stead are gorgeous and feel as delicate as the little seeds fighting to bring the green into the picture.  Can't wait to share it in the classroom. Just beautiful!

Madeline

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans
1939

     Madeline was awarded the Caldecott Honor in 1940.  I start by saying this because it's one of the few picture books published during the 1930s to have receive that honor and still feel like a current book and have as much appeal now as it did back then.
     Madeline is the story of a brave and spunky girl who attends a Catholic boarding school for girls in Paris.  She was the smallest of her class of twelve but she was the most spirited of them all.  A bit of a trouble maker, she always knew how to frighten Miss Clavel with her antics.  When one night Madeline wakes up screaming in pain, she is rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.  When her classmates came to visit her at the hospital, Madeline proudly shows her new scar.  Back at school, Miss Clavel must send to bed the rest of the girls who are all now wishing to have their own appendixes removed.  "And she turned out the light- and closed the door- and that's all there is- there isn't any more.
     If you have only known Madeline through her more modern portraits and editions, do yourself a favor and grab this 1939 one.  The yellow and black illustrations are wonderful and the flow and rhythm of the text are delightful.  Love Madeline!

If You Lived Here. Houses of the World

If You Lived Here. House of the World by Giles Laroche
Illustrated by Giles Laroche
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2011

     If You Lived Here: Houses of the World is a non-fiction picture book that describes different types of homes and dwellings from all over the world. Each page spread explores a different type of home, all starting with "If you lived here" and continuing with a description of what your home would look like.  Giles Laroche has included specific information about each kind of house under the headings: House Type, Material, Location, Date, and Fascinating Facts (did you know that logs from trees felled in winter were thought to last longer than those cut in other seasons?).  You'll learn about Chalets, Dogtrots, Pueblos, Fujian Tulous, Palafitos and Yurts, as well as other more common types like trailers and townhouses.
     The intricate bas-relief cut-paper collages created by Giles Laroche are incredible, beautiful.  This is the kind of picture book that could be in a classroom library, in a home bookshelf, or in a coffee table, and feel at ease in either one.

Just in Case. A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book

Just in Case. A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales
Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Published by Roaring Brook Press
2008

     Señor Calavera couldn't wait to get to Grandma Beetle's birthday party. He had ironed his tie, put on cologne, dusted his hat (which now sits on top of his cover of A Hundred Years of Solitude -a hint of the magic to come), and prepped his bike.  On his way there, he heard "a moan from beyond the grave."  It was Zelmiro the Ghost, a friendly looking ghost of an old man.  Zelmiro reminded Señor Calavera that he needed to bring Grandma Beetle a gift.  "You surely must know, the best present to give a friend is the thing she would love the most."  So Señor Calavera packs up un Acordeón (an accordion), Bigotes (a mustache), Cosquillas (tickles), and un CHiflido (a whistle).  Zelmiro celebrated Señor Calavera's choices but he wondered out loud, "are they what Grandma Beetle would love the most?"
     Señor Calavera ends up collecting a gift for each letter of the alphabet -except the Z- but it has taken him so long that he's now late for the party and in his rush, he ends up crashing his bike and dropping all the presents. He couldn't believe his misforture. He had no more time and no presents at all...except for the person Grandma Beetle had loved the most: Grandpa Zelmiro!
     Just in Case is a delightful trickster tale.  Yuyi Morales has done a wonderful job of incorporating a bilingual alphabet book into the thread of a truly entertaining tale.  The illustrations are gorgeous, filled with traditional Mexican images (starting with Señor Calavera, and complete with the classic Mexican lottery game) and plenty of fun details to savor over multiple reads.  And you gotta love the ending!
     
   

Happy Pig Day!

Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems
Illustrated by Mo Willems
Published by Hyperion Books
2011

     Piggie is beyond excited. She runs to her friend Gerald to share with him the thrilling news: "Today is the best day of the year!"  It's Happy Pig Day! Gerald had never heard of such a day, so Piggie explains how you get to sing and dance, eat pig food, and play pig games. She's even brought some of her friends along to celebrate.  But how can Gerald, an elephant, join in all the fun? He doesn't look anything like a pig!
     Once again, Mo Willems has given us a delightful early reader, full of clever dialogue, overly dramatic line deliveries and tons of fun.  Happy Pig Day! is a wonderful reminder of finding ways to celebrate the joy of friendship.  I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Don't miss the Elephant and Piggie books!