100 Things That Make Me Happy by Amy Schwartz

100 Things That Make Me Happy by Amy Schwartz
Abrams Appleseed

Rating: 5 stars

And now, in the category of I Wish I Had Thought of That! (but could I have done it as well as she did? I'm not sure--I really like this book!), comes a bright new picture book full of little things that make little and big people really happy.

Where could a book like this go wrong?

I need not waste any of my early-morning thoughts on worrying, because this book does not go wrong.

Award-winning Amy Schwartz has written a poem of things that make most kids happy, and illustrated sweet vignettes and images to go with her words:

Bucket trucks, yellow ducks
Grocery carts, frosted hearts
Grandma's lap, a gingersnap
White snow, cookie dough
Apple pies, Butterflies

Mud puddles, soap bubbles, Grandpa's tools, swimming pools
Brother and sis, Good-night kiss

This book is a long list of things that remind me and hopefully other adult readers how easy-to-please kids are. And it makes me count my blessings to hang around kids most of the hours of my day because their easy-to-please-ness rubs off on me. (Or maybe my own easy-to-please childhood hasn't entirely vanished as I've matured into an adult?)  

I love that the kids in this book pause to celebrate the fact that they're riding big-kid bikes, watching a parade, get to sleep in an extra cozy bed, eating chocolate cake.

This is a book full of inspiration--I love the idea of my kids making books of their own like these. What makes your kid happy today? A list of ten or fifteen things, with drawings just as cute as those by Amy Schwartz's able hand, bound together with staples or string is a keepsake for sure, or a gift for an upcoming Mothers or Fathers Day...

I think on the next rainy day I'm going to get out the butcher paper and lay down flat on my belly alongside my kids to create a big ol' mural of things that make us happy...

Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre

Too Much Glue by Jason Lefebvre, illustrated by Zac Retz

Flashlight Press

Rating: 5 stars

No joke: I just swiped this book from my son. I mean, I was the one who got my hands on it in the first place, but his teacher asked each student to bring in their favorite book, and it didn't take Ben long to decide that Too Much Glue was his new favorite picture book. But I need to review it! So here I am, at 5:13 AM, rifling through my son's backpack to get this book.

Because you need to know about it. It is such a fun book!

(His class needs to know about it, too, but they'll read it at 2 PM today. Consider this a sneak peek before those glue-happy kindergarteners get to see it!)

The art teacher constantly reminds the young narrator in this book: "Too much glue never dries. Glue raindrops, not puddles! No, Matty, that's too much glue!" As most problems do, this too-much-glue problem beings at home--we get a quick look at how Matty's parents encourage this sort of sticky, irresponsible behavior at home. (Gasp!)

But back in school, during art class, Matty goes a little too far by double fisting some good ol' Elmer's and creating a puddle of glue on a table. He throws in lots of trinkets and random decorations until he adds the final touch: himself! He belly flops into his sticky art creation--to his classmates' delight and his teacher's dismay.

Something my teacher said could never happen, happens:
the glue dries!

Of course, he gets stuck.

His classmates come up with a few different options for getting him out, but the lassoes snap off, the plastic brick tow truck explodes, the principal sticks a note on his tummy, and the giant fan helps the glue do what Matty's art teacher promises could never happen: the glue dries. He's now totally stuck. In author Lefebvre's words, he's a "note-on-my-tummy, melted mummy, clicky bricky, clingy stringy, blucky stucky glue boy."

Luckily, his glue-promoting dad comes to school and to the rescue. He peels Matty off the table and declares his boy a masterpiece! I love that his dad sees the humor in the situation...but, just in case any young readers think this is a good idea, his dad says, "Some beautiful things only happen once, and this is one of those things." It's a kind way to say DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN, and we all get the point. I hope.

So they take the principal's sticky note and encourage the use of tape instead.

I did warn my son Ben that when he takes this to school please, please, PLEASE do not do what Matty does during Mrs Rothman's art class and stick himself to a table to become gluey artwork himself! Fingers crossed I do NOT get that call later today...

This book is a kid-pleaser at the highest level. Lefebvre has honed in on that kid type of humor that is borderline inappropriate (for parents) and therefore wildly funny (for kids). I'm sure some parents and teachers will worry that those to whom they are reading will get some sticky ideas of their own, but hopefully that won't stop them from reading this book out loud. Again and again and again.

Just hide the Elmer's if you're a little worried!


Disclaimer: Too Much Glue was provided to me by the publisher. However, my opinions are written free of obligation, compensation or agreement from the publisher.

Draw! by Raúl Colón

Draw! by Raúl Colón

Rating: 5 stars

Last month the New York Times published their annual list (and I'm a lover of all lists, especially when they are lists of books, not to-dos) of Best Illustrated Books for 2014. Click HERE to access this great list. But watch out! Raúl Colón's gorgeous book Draw! is the first one, and when I looked at the illustration from it I knew I needed to see all of it. So don't expect to just look. Expect to buy. At least one. (I already owned Shackleton's Journey, or else I would have purchased that, too.)

Anyway.

Raúl Colón suffered from severe asthma as a child. Frequently, he'd find himself locked up indoors--for days on end--in order to hide from the pollen that made breathing difficult. But he endured those many hours on those many days away from the world by escaping into books and his own drawing (and sometimes comic books he wrote and illustrated himself). This wordless picture book is inspired by the hours he spent as a child trapped in his room but free in his imagination...

In Draw!, a boy is sitting on his bed, absorbed in a book about Africa. He puts the book aside and grabs his sketchbook, and draws himself walking, walking, walking into the book. (This transporting-into-a-book is something my kids talk about all the time. Are they alone? Do your kids do this?) The boy walks and walks until he sees an elephant. Gladly, it is a friendly elephant that poses for him and then gives him a ride rather than charges him.

The elephant becomes his guide as he walks around the grasslands, meeting and drawing giraffes, lions, gorillas, water buffalo, and a rhino that is the least friendly of the bunch (check out the cover, above left). His eyes and heart soak up the experience and he draws and draws and draws all these animals...until suddenly he is transported back to his original world, where he is presenting his animal artwork to his class.

The wordless story is fine. But the illustrations! They are inspirational works of art, each one.

I loved reading more about Raúl Colón and his technique in an interview on the fabulous School Library Journal blog. Here's what he has to say about how he draws each and every illustration in this book, and his others:

Usually I use colored pencil over watercolor wash. In this case, with the African images, I bought Pantone color papers, and I went straight onto the paper with Prismacolor pencils. The paper has a nice grain to it. If you’re going to use color pencils, it’s good to use a grain paper. 

I found the etching instrument by accident—something [a former] boss purchased when I worked at a  TV station in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It’s like a giant flat coin with prongs sticking out. First I sketch onto the paper. The boy’s pants may look brown, but there are actually layers of greens, purples, and blues, which make the colors appear much more vivid. (I learned this from the Impressionists, who put colors next to each other to enhance images.) After I know where everything goes, I start etching with this instrument—wherever I think I need movement or volume.

We're fans of this author/illustrator for sure. I'm embarrassed that this is the first time I've mentioned him on this blog! If you're curious about his work, definitely check out more books by him. (Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates is my personal favorite.)

Fox's Garden by Princesse CamCam

Fox's Garden by Princesse Camcam

Rating: 5 stars

One cold and snowy night, a fox gets lost among endless woods and drifts of snow. She runs past one house, but gets scared off by the look of fright in the woman's eyes.  She runs up to another home, but gets kicked off by an angry old man. Not knowing where else to go, the fox finds a greenhouse open and available, so she goes in to get out of the cold.

She doesn't realize a small boy watches her from his window.  He gathers some food and follows her inside, and realizes that the fox is not alone.  She now has a small gathering of kits around her, nursing quietly among the flowers in the greenhouse.

The boy offers what he can: a basket of gifts. Then he slowly returns to his room; he doesn't further interrupt the fox or wait for her to pay him any attention.

While the boy sleeps, the fox and her kits carry large plumes of flowers from the greenhouse to the boy's house.  They all jump quietly through the window, and plant them in his room. Then, the fox family is off through the night.

The boy wakes to their grateful abundance of flowers in his own room.

--

There is something extremely special about this wordless picture book.  I'm not entirely sure what it is--I just can't put my finger on what makes this book so magical. Princesse Camcam (I'm sure you're not shocked to hear it's not her real name, but it is a pen name you're not likely to forget--she was born Camille Garoche in southwest France) creates her own paper-cut dioramas that she then lights up and photographs. This gives the illustrations a unique sense of depth as you turn the pages of her book.

The story, so elegantly and gently placed before the reader, is simple and straightforward. The adults in this book are not open to helping the fox, yet the small boy opens his heart and gives what he can to the fox. His thoughtfulness does not go unnoticed; the fox thanks him simply with a magical bouquet. The big lesson: kindness begets kindness.

The world needs more of this lesson.  The world needs more of books like these. This is truly one of the most beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look

Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look, illustrated by Meilo So

Rating: 5 stars

Ben chose this book as his bedtime book a few nights ago, when we were on a quick weekend trip to the beach. He and Kiefer were sharing a room in our rental place. On twin beds, lying side by side, my boys lay side by side, listening to Lenore Look's absorbing story and looking at Meilo So's amazing artwork. Kiefer was asleep by the end of it, but Ben was spellbound throughout and even let out a quiet "woah" at the ending.

The book tells the legend of Wu Daozi, an Chinese artist that lived in the eighth century. The story begins in his calligraphy class when he was a young boy.  He tries to get the strokes right, but his brush seems to have a mind of its own.  The monk-teacher chides him for not paying attention, not trying hard enough, not making his brush do his brain's bidding. Yet Wu Daozi learned in that classroom that he possessed a gift: the gift of art.

Leaving calligraphy behind, he painted on walls everywhere--at temples, teahouses, and the silk bazaar.  (I guess graffiti laws were different back then?) The scenes were extraordinary, and people stopped to appreciate his artwork and skill. One day, he paints a butterfly that is so life-like that it flutters off the wall, into the air. Daozi is shocked, and is certain that he imagined what just happened.  He paints another butterfly, and it, too, flies away.  Suddenly, all around the city, his incredibly realistic paintings start to disappear.  The horses gallop off, the birds fly away, the men march down the road...

Yet the Emperor commissions Daozi to do the biggest mural of his career (hoping that it won't fly away).  Daozi toils on it for years and years, growing older and older as he paints and paints.  At the unveiling, the painting doesn't disappear.  It remains.  But Daozi...old Daozi walks right into the painting and is never seen again!

Magical for sure.  In just the right way.

The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara

The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara

Rating: 4 stars

In the woods somewhere near you is a library open only at night.  A little librarian and a trio of owl-assistants run the place, keeping it stacked and ready, tidy and neat for all the animals. They are always available to help find the perfect book, direct noise-makers to the activity room, sit with you until you're through with a sad part in a book.

When the sun starts to peek up, the librarian finds one last book--the perfect book to read to three sleepy owls at their bedtime, at sunrise.

A cute story, indeed.  But, just as in her other book that we have and love (Ghosts in the House), the magic of her book lies in the illustrations. Her amazingly detailed linocut prints create unique illustrations for this midnight library that exists in the woods.  The simple colors--black, orange, and blue--highlight the details without overcomplicating the art.  Each image is captivating, deserving of several minutes of my full attention.

The technique is not incredibly common in children's books; I think showing your child the book helps them broaden their definition of "art" and what it can look like, what it can be. If your child is old enough to use a sharp knife, then there are many projects this book can easily inspire!  Lorelei was impressed with learning a little more--she'd be delighted to receive and use the linocut kit that is used here in this "linocuts for kids" demonstration.

Also, be sure to check out the incredibly unique, incredibly detailed illustrations by cut-paper artist Nikki McClure in the wonderful book All in a Day.

Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney

Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney

Rating: 4.5 stars

Llama llama was a tradition in our family.  Each sweet child of mine would go through a phase where that was ALL she or he wanted to read at night.  I read the little board books to them as babies, and the rhyme must have seeped into their brains, because around age two and a half each located Llama Llama Red Pajama and Llama Llama Misses Mama on our messy bookshelves.  I read Llama Llama Holiday Drama, regardless of the season.

And now, a new tradition: one that involves not a little boy llama and his mom, but a little girl gnu and her dad.  I really like that.  There's no secret that a grown girl's confidence has a whole heck of a lot to do with her dad (thanks, Dad, for all the love and time you poured into me!).  If, like us, you are a fan of Llama Llama, you'll love this one just as much. The same quick, pleasing rhyme and the same heart-warming, sweet illustrations are there to greet you on every page.

What's the story about?  Nelly Gnu and her dad spend the afternoon together, making a cardboard house together--they shop for materials, construct it, and paint it together.  Like all good stories (and, like all of Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama books), it does have a problem--Nelly Gnu gets lost in the hardware store--that is quickly resolved.  But that's not the highlight of this book.  This book is good and sweet because of the bond between father and daughter that we get to see and hopefully it inspires a few of us to spend a little more time with our daughters (and sons!).

But before you buy or check out this book, you might just might want to pronounce gnu.  I mean, we all would prefer teach our children the correct pronunciations of words, right?  Despite the fact that my husband insists that he heard "Ga-new" while in Kenya a decade or so ago, this pronunciation guide suggests that the G is silent:

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow

Rating: 5 stars

Molly Lou Melon is inspired by her late grandmother to forego fancy dolls and action figures, store-bought dollhouses, and plastic race cars.  Instead, her grandmother used her imagination and the stuff on hand to create toys.  So Molly Lou Melon does just that.  She creates dolls out of the flowers and leaves and twigs in her backyard, she designs a dollhouse with the weeping willow in the yard, and she whips up a turbo race car with a garage full of boxes and paper and wheels and such.

Then one day, she gets a new neighbor, Gertie.  Though there's no mention of it in the text, in the illustrations the reader sees that Gertie always has a crutch by her side.  Quietly, the author and illustrator tell us that Gertie is physically disabled.  Right away after meeting, Gertie complains that she is "bored, bored, BORED!"  So Molly Lou Melon invites her over to play.

At first, Gertie brings over her fancy dolls and action figures, store-bought dollhouses, and plastic race cars.  She is quickly blown away by the hand-made stuff that Molly Lou Melon has dreamed up and created.  After inviting Molly Lou Melon over to watch some shows on her big-screen TV, only to be turned down by Molly Lou Melon because Molly Lou Melon is watching the clouds on her SKY-wide screen, Gertie ditches her electronic and store-bought stuff and joins Molly Lou in the land of imagination, creativity, and make believe.

A sweet story, illustrated by the fantastic David Catrow, about two people who don't seem very compatible but with time and openness and a constant, warm welcome to join them in their world (while respecting the world that the other lives in), a friendship blossoms.  I love how, on the second to last page, Gertie shows up on Molly Lou Melon's doorstep with her own handmade doll with hollyhock skirt and violets for hair.  Now it is Molly Lou Melon's turn to be blown away.

Three cheers for sweet friendships and fewer store-bought toys, and loads of time to create and imagine and just...PLAY with those friends.


P.S.  This is a sequel to Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon which is also really good.  Stand Tall is about how Molly Lou reacts when she gets teased for her small stature.  The two books are ones that are recommended for children with disabilities and/or used to teach empathy for children whose bodies or minds are slightly different from able-bodied kids.  These are definitely some good books to have around and talk about!

Robot Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello

Robot Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello

Rating: 5 stars

This book was on display behind the circulation desk last week.  My kids are so comfortable at the library that Ben saw it and promptly asked the librarian if he could check it out.  Invite us to your library: we'll take your displays apart.  That's how we roll.  (From a different perspective, that display sure worked!  Ben and Lorelei each threw in a couple of art books into our bag.)

And the even neater thing: When we got home, all three kids sat around our kitchen table, fighting for a spot that gave them a good view of this book.  They sat and drew--even little Kiefer!--for 20-25 minutes while I got dinner ready.  I admit that there was a little elbow action as they vied for better positions.  Such is life when you've got three kids who want to look at the same book.

There isn't much to read, so these books
are great for older not-yet-readers, too!

Ben was the most enthralled by the book.  He took the book up to his room at bedtime and sat drawing robots during his quiet reading time.  Robots surrounded him!  And the neat thing about this book is that the robots are all made of lines and shapes--nothing more complicated than that.  There are step-by-step directions and, if you follow them, your robot REALLY looks like the picture!  Anyone attempting any art--whether it's watercolor or a poem or stick figures or a book--would agree that the end result is rarely what you first see in your head.  And I think for kids that's true even more frequently.  Wonderfully, they are not hung up about it as often as we perfectionist adults are.  But Ben was very proud of himself when his robot was a solid twin of the artist-author's robot.

Ralph Masiello has a bunch of these step-by-step drawing books, including Dinosaurs, Halloween, Fairies, Bugs, Dragons, and On the Farm.  I think we're going to have to check them out.  All of them.  So if you're in Fairfax County and you're interested in checking them out of the system, well...you might just want to wait a few weeks.  Or I'll race you for them!

Some of Ben's robots.  Or, his Ben-bots?

Santa! by Rufus Butler Seder

Santa! by Rufus Butler Seder

Rating: 4.5 stars

I might be one of the few people who does not own one of Rufus Butler Seder's scanimation books, but I really do think they are neat.  My kids and I have checked them out from the library, examined friends' copies, and sat with them in many bookstores.  He has produced six books with clever illustrations that seem to magically move while the page bends.  Gallop! and Swing! and WaddleI were followed by Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz.  In each of these books, Seder manages to capture decades of his passion and experience in photography and moving art.  

I was curious about this guy Rufus Butler Seder so, as love the bigger picture of a story, I found out a little more about him and how he evolved into creating children's books.  Turns out he's fairly fascinating--as most artists are.  Rufus' father was a journalist/photographer as well as an inventor--Gus Seder liked to tinker with things to figure out how they worked, and then manipulate these same tools and get them do things slightly differently.  Exposed to his father's creativity, Rufus was also encouraged to invent and create and tinker as well.  Photography was a known subject, one that was both familiar and widely open with possibilities, so Rufus experimented with photography.  One of his first little creations was a book involving trick photography: He photographed his sister jumping outside on the trampoline and manipulated the individual pictures such that, when he rearranged the photographs, it looked as if she was flying around the backyard.  

What a delightful trick for a big brother to have!  

Rufus made several small movies, but returned to the idea of moving art when most two dimensional artwork was still.  He had seen several antique and contemporary photographs where part of the image moved--think of the slightly creepy face from the past that winks or smiles as you look away from the image.  This idea is called the "picket fence"--a bar obscuring one phase of movement while reversing another.  With a whole lot of inspiration and experimentation Rufus came up with a flat image that appeared to move in a really cool way.  It's the old idea of flip-art book (didn't you have one of these books as a kid?), but much, much better.  While much of his art is directed at grown ups, a children's book editor pointed out that a collection of his already-existing scanimation images of animals, when collected together into a small book, would be a fun children's book.  He was right: his five scanimation books are wildly popular. 

That's the back story of his sixth book, Santa!  I hope that's moderately interesting to you, but what is certainly interesting to you is the answer to the question: Will my child like this?

The simple answer: yes!  People of all ages really like this stuff, and they're fascinated by how the scanimation pictures work--probably because it seems pretty magical, even in the era of the entertaining and ubiquitous app.  "This is Santa unlike you've seen him before!" it says in the promotional flyer that accompanied this book.  That made me laugh but it is so true!  This is a really great version of behind-the-scenes Santa.  Unlike the normal images of him checking his list, overseeing the craftsmanship of toys, and guiding his sleigh across the night, this is playful Santa: he hula-hoops, unicycles, juggles candy canes, ice skates, and does a back flip.  It is light and fun and sweet; seeing Santa taking the time to be silly and playful is a wonderful reminder to anyone who picks up the book to be a little silly and a little playful themselves.  I think it's just great, and a fantastic book for any age.  Or maybe for a grandparent whose shelves need to include a few children's books that appeal to children of all ages for an extended amount of time. 

I suspect that after a while SantaI will get put on a shelf, but the moment it is pulled off again--whether that's months or years later, the child (or grown up!) will be entertained and fascinated all over again.  And maybe a little bit inspired to create and tinker and make something of their own.

Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter

Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter

Rating: 4.5 stars

Lorelei has this new thing; she says she first saw it on a show called "Dino Dan."  She puts all of her fingers to her forehead then explodes them outward, with the proper sound as well.  She uses the motion (and corresponding exploding sound) to tell us that her mind is blown.

This book blew her mind a little--in how Matisse helped expand her definition of art, and in his life itself.

Underneath neatly illustrated pictures that correspond right along, Winter writes about Matisse's life.  As a small boy, he watched his mother paint children.  He wanted to paint, too.  He drew pictures in the sand, in his schoolbooks, and when he grew older, alongside his law books.  One winter, sick in bed, his "mother gave him a box of paints, and he painted until he was well."

After that, Henri never stopped painting.  Winter includes a few of his most famous paintings; he looks up at them, happy.

As he fell asleep, his grandchildren looked down on him
and saw his dreams.

When he was an old man, he fell ill.  "So ill he couldn't paint, so ill he couldn't sit up, so ill he could only lie in bed and sleep."  Finally, at long last, he had the energy to sit and paint.  Then one day, he picked up a pair of scissors, and decided that when he cut paper, he was "drawing with scissors!" He cuts himself into a new era as an artist, and he happily covers his walls (and, I imagine, others' walls) with cut-outs.

He is, once again, happy.

The book makes your kids want to
DO ART in a great, new-ish way!

When your child's mind is blown just a little...now that is a good children's book.  I love how cutting out shapes is included in art (Matisse might have done it in slightly more interesting ways than Kiefer currently does...) AND that Matisse tries something new at an old age.  How wonderful that he re-imagines what drawing is when his beard has long been gray!  This is a nicely done art book that teaches and inspires.

One last thing: I love that Matisse took a long pole, tied a piece of chalk to it, and drew the faces of his grandchildren up on the ceiling so that they smiled down on him and saw his dreams.  What a lovely way to fall asleep each night!

The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Rating: 5 stars

This book is getting a whole lotta hype.

And for good reason.  It is super clever, makes you (yes, you--even grown ups) giggle, and has applaud-worthy illustrations.  Seriously, every time I page through it I just want to put the book down and clap. Bravo, Drew Daywalt!  Bravo, Oliver Jeffers!  After Rosie Revere, Engineer, this is my second favorite book of 2013.

Here's the fun story: A boy named Duncan reaches for his dependable box of crayons, but instead of the box he finds a stack of letters.  Each letter is written by a different color.  Each one tells his or her own story, told in that crayon's unique "voice."

"Dear Duncan, Green Crayon here. I like my work..."

Take Gray, for example. He is tired of being used for the BIGGEST animals on the planet, or, in this case, on the paper.  Rhinos, elephants, hippos, humpback whales...they really use him up.  He asks Duncan: Why not color baby penguins or small pebbles?  These would give Gray a break, while still including him in the picture.

Or take Lorelei's favorite color and Duncan's least favorite color, pink.  Pink is tired of being looked over.  She challenges Duncan to use her to color the occasional dinosaur or monster or cowboy PINK.  That would be fun and different!  (She also compliments Duncan's sister on her superb coloring between the lines when Duncan's sister borrowed her to color in an princess.)

"When Duncan shows his teacher his new picture,
he gave him an A for coloring..."

The story is fantastic--creative and cool and fun.  But the illustrations are so spot-on.  Oliver Jeffers manages to create doodles that look sort of kid-drawn but a little too neat and clever to be kid-drawn.  But he uses those crayons in the most inspiring ways--it's hard not to grab a new box of crayons and start scribbling.  (Since reading this, we often grab a crayon and ask it, "What do you want to draw today?" and pretend the crayon itself is drawing the picture.)

The book ends with Duncan incorporating ALL the colors into one fantastic illustration-coloring. All of the colors are included, their requests have been granted, even Black's desire for a black rainbow once in a while.  Wonderfully silly, right?

I've got to say it again: Bravo, Drew Daywalt!  Bravo, Oliver Jeffers!  Wonderful job.

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippen by Jen Bryant

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippen by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Rating: 5 stars

This is a really neat nonfiction book about artist Horace Pippen (and illustrated by super talented Caldecott winner Melissa Sweet) that I reviewed a while ago for a local mag, the Washington Family Magazine:

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippen provides just the kind of story I want my children to see, read, and have in their heads and hearts for years.

Here's the story: Horace Pippen was born in West Chester, PA, in 1888.  He grew up in a large family where no one had much and everyone helped out.  From a young age, he loved to draw.  “If he could find a scrap of paper and a piece of charcoal, he drew pictures of what he’d seen that day.”  By looking around to what was available to him, Horace made scenes and people come alive on his paper.

To read the rest, click here.

Willow by Denise Brennan Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan

Willow by Denise Brennan Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan

Rating: 5 stars

Hmmm...where to begin when there are so many things right about this book?

Maybe with Willow herself.  She's a more-than-likeable character; the type of girl you'd love for a student or daughter.  She's creative and clever, cheerful and kind.  Her wiggly hair has a mind of its own; her playful outfits made even more sunny with her smile.  She carries around her well-loved art book, the one that inspires her to draw with her heart.  Best of all, her happy demeanor is resilient against put-downer Miss Hawthorn.

Miss Hawthorn is the unlikeable character, in case her black attire and slicked-back hair don't clue you into her villainous job in the book.  Sadly, she's the school art teacher.  She instructs the kids to draw trees EXACTLY as she prescribes.  (Willow's is a whimsical, pink version of a weeping willow.)  She shows the kids EXACTLY how to produce an apple tree.  (Willow's is a big blue apple with a trunk underneath.)

Despite her cold presence in the art room, warm Willow doesn't give up on Miss Hawthorn.  At winter break, the students leave the teachers' desks full of boxes and presents and cards and tokens of affections.  Except Miss Hawthorn's desk.  She has but one gift.

It's from Willow: her very own well-loved art book.

Behind a graceful willow tree,
covered in paint from head to toe,
a woman was painting.

And the book, wonderfully, inspires Miss Hawthorn to let loose.  She (literally and figuratively) lets her hair down, whips out the paint and paper and ends up painting all night.  When the students return from their vacation, the new version of Miss Hawthorn are invited to help paint the walls with their own versions of trees and apples and nature.

I admire how Willow does not give up on either Miss Hawthorn, despite the many times Miss Hawthorn dashes her artwork, nor herself--she remains quietly confident in her own artistic ability.  Plus, Willow gives Miss Hawthorn not what she wants (obedience) but what she needs (inspiration).  Bravo to Miss Hawthorn for breathing in that inspiration, letting it fill her lungs and heart...and the classroom.

I couldn't NOT review this book today; I volunteered in the art room in Lorelei's school.  It was a gift to be able to observe my first grader among her peers, diligent and focused on her work, with a smile for the teacher and her friends, and a wink or two for me.  The class was continuing a lesson on how to draw a castle with shapes--and there was a Miss Hawthorn-esque example at the front of the class for them to look at and learn from.

But each of their castles was unique and special; the wise teacher encouraged them to make each castle their own.  Most chattered as they worked, explaining to their classmates who lived in the castle and what sort of castle it was.  There was a story for every part, a reason for each color.  You could feel the joy and creativity in the room. I did not want to leave!

A great book, and a great art hour with a great art teacher at my daughter's school.

Monkey See, Monkey Draw by Alex Beard

Monkey See, Monkey Draw by Alex Beard

Rating: 5 stars

About a month ago the kids' beloved Grammy went to visit an old family friend in New Orleans.  She and Sheila strolled around the city, eating everything they could and drinking in the time together (and hopefully nothing in grossly oversized mugs).  I loved the pictures Sheila sent me of their time together in the Big Easy--it gave me hope that I'd be able to wander around a city, exploring new shops and old book stores as long as I'd like...  At the moment that seems like a hilarious notion as in this chapter of my life, one, two, or three noisy, needy shadows constantly follow me around.  Anyway, one of the many cool places they visited along Royal Street was Alex Beard's studio.

Alex Beard's New Orleans studio

The pictures that Sheila sent me from the studio really intrigued me.  Here's a guy just a little older than me who was steeped in the arts at an early age and continued to be a photographer and artist as well as an "adventurer"--he's traveled across the world and clearly remains open to having new and unique cultures touch and affect him.  Monkey See, Monkey Draw was in the studio, and I saw pictures of my mom paging through it.  It was beautiful!  I ordered it from our library right away.

The story is simple: A band of silly monkeys play around with a baobab nut, and an elephant joins in.  The elephant's strong throw lands the baobab nut into a dark cave of which the monkeys are afraid.  The elephant is curious and brave and only a little afraid, so he leads the way inside.  What they see amazes them.  The animals find on the walls beautiful, elaborate paintings of animals.  "Each picture [is] made from a handprint or footprint."  Inspired and delighted, the elephant and monkeys use their feet and hands to draw pictures.

See how the art spills over the box/frame?  I love that--like
it can't be contained!

The illustrations use--you guessed it--thumb and finger prints for most of the animals in the story.  Beard crafts wily faces and crazy faces, jumping bodies and wiggling bodies, but all have the same base: his own hand.  The other cool thing about the illustrations is that they have a boxed frame to contain them, but the animals will NOT be contained!  They jump outside of it, and the African scenes spill over the sides of the box, too.  It's a neat addition to the book.

But the best part?  The invitation in the back in the author's note.  Beard describes how children always react wildly when he uses his hand or foot--or a willing child's hand or foot--and transforms it into an animal.  "Tracing a child's hand and turning the palm and fingers into the body, legs, and head of anything from a giraffe to a butterfly to a horse--and of course a monkey--fascinates the kids.  It gives them an easy starting place from which to make their own works of art, and it helps them think beyond their immediate comfort zone of flowers, rockets and square houses with triangular roofs and stick-figure families."  He hopes that when children read this story, they associated themselves with the monkeys and have fun with art.

This is more than a book--it's an invitation and an inspiration.  This book, some paint, some big paper and time (the best part of any gift) with your child to create alongside them (rather than type up a blog entry like I am doing).

Meet Me at the Art Museum by David Goldin

 Meet Me at the Art Museum: A Whimsical Look Behind the Scenes by David Goldin

Rating: 4.5 stars

Here's a quirky book by, judging by his blog and website, an equally quirky author.  I mean quirky--both book and author--in a really good way.

How to make educational fun?  Such a hard task.  But Goldin does it. Here's a book that describes what goes on behind the scenes at an art museum (or any museum, for that matter).  Goldin manages to throw in words like curator and docent and archivist and still my kids were asking me to read it again to them.  I'm grateful for this book as it helps my kids have a better understanding of what one is, and a better appreciation for how much effort it takes to run one.

The story:

Stub is a leftover ticket that gets left, flat like a pancake, on the museum floor after it closes.  A friendly name tag named Daisy finds him and gives him a tour around the place.  She shows him the different galleries but also the offices of the museum that are helpful for visitors and/or employees--coat check, director's office, gift shop, library, to name a few.  Ben's favorite page was the one explaining what symbol signage is--"easy to understand, even if you can't read" signs.  He was proud to be able to "read" the signs even though he can't yet read.

This room is called a gallery.  There are many galleries in a museum.

During the tour, Stub wishes and hopes he might live in a museum. And, in the end, he gets his wish!  He peeks his stub-head into the room where damaged treasures are restored and whooosh gets blown by a fan into a painting that is sticky from a fresh coat of varnish.  He's happily displayed in the museum as art the next day, and for every day thereafter.

This book is one of four that I am giving my sister's 6 year old twin girls for their birthday.  (Confession: their birthday was at the end of January, the party last weekend, and their gift STILL is not ready.  One of these years I'll be on time with my gifts...)  Two books on art--this one and A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippen--a great book I reviewed for Family Magazine and two books on how to draw.  And then a date with our family to a museum in D.C.  Priceless, right?

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton

 Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura

Rating: 5 extraordinary stars

After the first page, I really didn't like this book.  Here's the first page (bear with me):

Once upon an ordinary school day, an ordinary boy woke up from his ordinary dreams, got out of his ordinary bed, had an ordinary pee and an ordinary bath, put on his ordinary clothes, and ate his ordinary breakfast.   

The ordinary boy brushed his ordinary teeth, kissed his ordinary mom goodbye, and set off for his ordinary school.

There are two more pages like that.  When you read that out loud, that's a whole lot of "ordinarys."  I was thinking: This is going to be a long book.

But from the get-go, the illustrations are beautiful and quirky and fun.  Those on the first three pages are all in black and white.

And then, on page three, an extraordinary figure bounds into the classroom.  It's Mr. Gee, a new teacher, and he's got an idea for a lesson that will help him get to know the students, and help the students get to know him.  He puts some music on and wants the kids to let the music make pictures in their heads.

Oh, and the illustrations are so great!  The extraordinary Mr. Gee is in color, but all the ordinary stuff is still in black and white.

And as the music swooped and danced and dived
once more,the ordinary boy began to write.

So he puts on the music, and everyone draws and writes what they hear.  They interpret the music so differently and wonderfully!  The main ordinary boy draws of elephants stampeding and a whole safari of animals and then a deep sea adventure and then of flying over gorgeous lands.  All in color, of course.

At the end of the day the little boy compliments the teacher on the lesson: "That was the best lesson ever!" (I love this kudos giving from little to big.)  Mr. Gee wonderfully replies: "I can't wait to read your story tonight."  I love the genuine interest the teacher has in the boy.

In a different chapter of my life, I was student body president of my college (feel free to chuckle!).  I gave a speech to all the faculty and staff once before the academic year began challenging them to be memorable to at least one student.  Isn't that what it's all about?  Taking the time and energy and risk to make an impression and helping somebody grow.  I hope that my kids are lucky enough to have a handful of teachers who care enough to have lessons like these, to help them grow and stretch and learn.

This is like a pint-sized, less-sad, book version of Dead Poets Society, which is one of my favorite movies.  And honestly, it's made me think a little more about teaching in my next chapter of life.  What fun it'd be to make a difference in other kids' lives.  Hmm.  Something to consider...

Anyway, a FANTASTIC book.  Lucky us to have found it on display at our library.  Thank you, librarians!

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

Rating: 5-ish stars

I had a pretty luxurious day.  I left the kids with the sitter for the morning and drove to my favorite stretch of the C&O Canal and ran 10ish warm miles by myself.  It was a gorgeous day, and I didn't miss my iPod--had enough to meditate on.  And then, instead of running errands like I should have, I drove myself to a coffee shop and sat down and read for an hourish, totally immersed in my book (the unbelievable Unbroken, if you are curious--yes, I actually read adult books!).

In between these totally indulgent activities I went to the bookstore--straight to the children's section--to buy this book.  When I read it to Lorelei and Ben the other night at bedtime I almost cried at the end.  It is such a beautiful book.  I'm a big fan of Reynolds' other book, The Dot, which I'll review sometime soon.  Like The Dot, Ish is a book about a boy's relationship with art, and also his relationship with perfection.  Um, I can relate.

He filled his journals with ish drawings.

The story:

Ramon delights in drawing "Anytime.  Anything.  Anywhere."  Then one day his brother peers over his shoulder at one of his drawings and mocks: "WHAT is THAT?"  Suddenly, Ramon is self-conscious at how imperfect his art is, and he starts drawing something, then disliking it, and then crumpling it up and throwing it away.  He does this for months until he finally decides he's done, and quits.  He crumples up his last piece of artwork and tosses it away.  His little sister reaches for it and, despite his protests, runs away with it.  He chases her, and then Ramon's yell turns into a gasp when he sees her room.

Taped to her walls are Ramon's pieces of art, carefully flattened and taped up.  She says that she likes this one the best, and points to a cup with flowers in it.  "It was supposed to be a vase," explains Ramon.  "It's vase-ish," she replies (I love how the youngest is the wisest).  Ramon ponders this.  And then agrees.  "Yes, it is vase-ish."

Accepting that his art is "ish" instead of needing to be perfect, Ramon "felt light and energized.  Thinking ish-ly allowed his ideas to flow freely.  He began to draw what he felt--loose lines.  Quickly springing out.  Without worry."  He once again delights in art, and even, on the last page, decides to savor a scene and moment instead of trying to capture it in one of his ish masterpieces.

I just love this book.  I guess I can relate to someone's words getting under my skin and affecting what I was doing and thinking and feeling.  Then someone looked at what I did and thought and felt and said, "You're brilliant!" and seemingly tacked up my Kate-ness to the wall and celebrated me.  Like Ramon, there was a shift in me that was good.  Hopefully we all can relate to someone applauding our efforts at the right time, when the praise has maximum impact.

I stumbled upon a website, Teaching Children Philosophy (and bookmarked it!  must return later when I have time to poke around there), that has a wonderful lesson plan or really just conversation-starter for this book.  Definitely worth checking out.

Oh, and here's an essay by a 6th grader who believes the book Ish changed her life.  Makes me smile.  Books are so important, and you never know how important they are until much later.

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Rating: 4 stars

It was shape week at our house this week.  I know.  Random.  But I'm a girl who likes a plan, and with the start of summer, I wanted a framework of some sort or else I feel like the days are too loosey-goosey (spell check didn't like that) for my liking.  God forbid we have a week without accomplishing something!

So we tried to eat lots of different shapes.  We ate quesadillas shaped like triangles, cucumbers cut up as half-moons, star cut-out cookies, pancakes with blueberries for circles (a double whammy!), bell pepper strips for rectangles to name a few.

We played with tangrams or tangram-like activities, and then for our field trip we went on a shape hunt at our local zoo.  I know that sounds incredibly dorky, but the kids were totally into it and we wondered if we even recruited a friend to go with us whose mom didn't roll her eyes at my excitement over finding a feeding bin shaped like a triangle.  That's a friend for you.  Click here for more details of our shape hunt at the zoo.

It's not a box.  It's a burning building!

During a playdate one afternoon we read Not A Box, which is probably a book everyone knows about already.  It's simple--aren't the best things simple?  Portis (whose book A Penguin Story we love love love) shows how a cute, simply drawn bunny can transport a simple box into anything he wants with his imagination.  My kids aren't box-crazy yet, but they did get into this story for the shape aspect of it.  After my friend read all the book while I cooked dinner for the kids, she handed out a piece of paper with a rectangle on it and each kid transformed their rectangle into a "not-a-box."


I was actually bummed not to participate--when was the last time YOU did an art project?  Probably too long ago.  I find it so enjoyable to stop cleaning, stop blogging, stop picking up the kitchen for the upteenth time to just...draw and paint with my kids.  Priceless stuff.  Anyway, I digress.

Good book and easy activity to provide an opportunity for a little creativity.  Not bad!

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

Rating: 5 stars

What's with lonely and sad chameleons?  Why are these books finding their way into my library bag?

Luckily Pete the Cat balances out the blues.  More on him later...

Emily Gravett brings this (figuratively and literally) blue chameleon to life with few words and many soft, creative sketches.  Her chameleon is blue because he doesn't have any friends.  He tries to make friends with some funny characters--a snail, a sock, a banana.  Each time, the chameleon changes, as only chameleons with quirky artists behind them can, into that possible friend.  Let me show, rather than tell:

"Can I hang out with you?"

He's about to give up--turning all pale and page-like--until a voice calls out..."Hello?"  And then:

"Hello!"  "Hi!"

And together they are colorful.  The pictures are amazing and I'm sure the story extra meaningful for those kids who are still looking for a best friend.