Little Lamb Books

Best Picture Books of 2011

2011-12-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am more than a little saddened to say that this was one of the hardest roundups to do. I just have not had time to dedicate to children's books, as I've been juggling three jobs with my writing and also, you know, laundry and eating regularly. Life is hard, guys. I don't know how you mothers do it. You have my overwhelming respect!

But, here, with little flourish, but promises that these books really are great, are my top fifteen picks for 2011 (in alphabetical order by author):

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle: Another joyful celebration of the imagination by one of the most prolific and beloved illustrators alive today.

Nursery Rhyme Comics ed. by Chris Duffy and Leonard S. Marcus: Hilarious and charming these 50 nursery rhymes interpreted by 50 of the best comic artists working today gives a fresh take on Mother Goose and all her poetic friends.

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke: Spunky Zita has charmed me since she was a little web-comic; the book exceeded my high expectations. Vibrant, adventurous, funny, and engaging to the end. Can't wait for Zita 2!

The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes, illustrations by Laura Carlin: I've always loved this fantastic story since I first came across the animated film. It gets a fresh look for a new generation with wonderful new illustrations by Laura Carlin.
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen: One of my favorite illustrators (see last year's Cat's Night Out), John Klassen is wry and funny in his little tale about a bear and his hat.
To Market, To Market by Niki McClure: McClure's gorgeous paper cut-outs celebrate the incredible diversity of produce and the great fun it is to go to the Market.
The High Street by Alice Melvin: A flip-book for your resident anglophile. (Me! Me!)
Orani: My Father's Village by Claire Nivola: Nivola's gorgeous illustrations of her father's village in Italy remind me of Anno. Her prose is lucid and vibrant. It makes me want to live there!
Brother Sun and Sister Moon by Katherine Patterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton: I know! Another picture book about Francis of Assisi. But oh my goodness, the illustrations! Beautiful! They have also produced a companion piece--The Story of Christmas.
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka: Raschka is hilarious and touching, as always, in this story about a dog and her beloved toy.
One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jonathan Bean: A pretty and elegant new take on the Christmas story. Perhaps the best new Christmas book in years.
Press Here by Herve Tullet: By far and without a doubt, this is my favorite book of 2011.
Along a Long Road by Frank Viva: Another in the retro-style picture books, this is about a bike ride, and the long road makes, in fact, and infinite loop that will fascinate attentive readers.
A Zeal of Zebras by Woop Studios: I love me a good collective noun. And a good alphabet book. And a good animal book. How fun to have all three in one title.
All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino: The mind behind the brilliant and engaging The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau, Dan Yaccarino, has created a tale about four generations of an Italian family--starting with the arrival on Ellis Island. A real delight.

And don't forget the reprinted editions:
The Phantom Tollbooth (scroll to the end of the post)
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp, illustrated by Garth Williams: finally back in print--one of the best adventures ever.

Related: The dangers of the Caldecott

Happy 80th Birthday Tomi Ungerer!

2011-11-28T10:32:00.001-05:00

Today is the 80th Birthday of Tomi Ungerer. Ungerer is at the center of a recent and much deserved rise in publicity, thanks to the republishing of many of his greatest children's books, by Phaidon Press.

Ungerer is certainly one of the most imaginative of authors and illustrators. He is decidedly off--in a Roald Dahl / Edward Gorey / William Steig sort of way. His stories are always slightly macabre, and rather melancholy. They are not for everyone--though they are loved by many, and perfectly suitable for children. (Ungerer himself is an odd duck; it does not do to dwell too long on his personal life.)

I've only reviewed one of his books, the charming Moon Man, but the head of the Tomi Ungerer Children's Book Blogger Fan Club is Burgin Streetman, of Vintage Books My Kid Loves. She's reviewed so many of his best selections, some of which are now reprinted by Phaidon and other publishing houses.

The Three Robbers (my favorite, besides Moon Man)
Crictor
Otto: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear
Christmas Eve at the Mellops'
The Mellops Go Diving for Treasure
Adelaide: The Flying Kangaroo

And you can find many of his out-of-print books on Amazon as well.

More on The Phantom Tollbooth

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Norton Juster writes from NPR Books about his "accidental masterpiece"--The Phantom Tollbooth:

Like most good things that have happened in my life, The Phantom Tollbooth came about because I was trying to avoid doing something else. It was 1958, and after three years in the Navy I returned to New York City to work as an architect. I had also received a grant to do a book on cities for children. I started with great energy and enthusiasm until I found myself waist-deep in stacks of 3-by-5 note cards, exhausted and dispirited. This is not what I wanted to do.

In order to stop thinking about cities, I had to start thinking about something else.

Also, there's a kickstarter project for a little documentary of the making of The Phantom Tollbooth. Check out the preview, below, and donate to it here.

Also, did you notice: all the fellows I talked about last week look alike in their old age. Sendak, Carle, Tomie, Juster and Feiffer. Round faces, white beards. Mostly they all have mischief in their eyes, except for Sendak, who just looks feisty.

Old and New Again

2011-10-13T08:51:00.000-04:00

Three of the greats of the world of children's literature in America have published new books. I have not seen any of them because I, I am sorry to say, have not stepped into a book store in over two months! How ridiculous! Still, I wanted to alert you to them:

Maruice Sendak, author Where the Wild Things Are, has published Bumble-Ardy, based on a animated sketch in Sesame Street, where a pig throws himself a birthday party that quickly gets out of hand. In the lead-up to this release, Sendak has granted a number of interviews which are fascinating, and a bit sad (Paris Review, The Guardian). He has always had some darkness in his books, but these interviews show him as a surprisingly angry man. That darkness is what makes Where the Wild Things Are so perplexing and intriguing, and The Juniper Tree (illustrated tales from Grimm) so perfect. Even his humor in What Do You Do, Dear? and What Do You Say, Dear? is a little dark - and all the more enchanting because it is so. Was he always this angry? Does he know how many people he has inspired, and how much joy his work has given? I don't know, but I do know that I love his work, and look forward to seeing Bumble-Ardy, which sounds like quite a ruckus! (For more of my reviews of Sendak work, click here.)

Tomie dePaola is, as you well know, my favorite. He is filled with so much joy sometimes I think he might burst. Since winning the ALA Wilder Award in January, he's been on quite a roll. He even made a stop here in Washington, DC at the National Book Festival (above). And I missed it. My heart is broken! His newest title is a Christmas story with dear old Strega Nona (Strega Nona's Gift). For more DePaola books, click here.

Eric Carle has also released a new picture book, after ten odd years, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. Inspired by the work of Franz Marc, a German expressionist, who painted blue horses and yellow cows - but Carle puts his own dear nonsensical spin on it - a green lion, a polka-dotted donkey. In this he continues to inspire a child to really see. As he says in a really marvelous video interview on Amazon, "You don't have to stay within the lines. In art you're supposed to be free. Let them open their eyes." See some of my favorite Carle books here and here and purchase some here.

Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer's The Phantom Tollbooth is celebrating it's 50th Anniversary this year, and two special editions have been released: one with annotations by Leonard Marcus and the other with brief essays from a number of people about what it meant to them as a child.

I am shocked to find I've never reviewed this masterpiece! Well, then: let me point you to the fantastic article by New Yorker critic Adam Gopnik that includes an interview of the author and illustrator (who were housemates and good friends).

Juster, who speaks with the soft accents of the old Brooklyn, began recalling the origins of the book: “I had come back from the service, and I went to work in an architectural office. I was really kind of bored with everything, and I think, I’ll do a little book on cities. The kind of book that will be interesting for kids. I applied to the Ford Foundation for a grant—old saying, when God wants to punish you, he gives you what you ask for!—and got the grant.”
“Five thousand bucks you got!” Feiffer interjected.
“Was it that much? Anyway, I was up to my ass in worries and notes and couldn’t get it done. And so I took a vacation with friends, at the beach, Fire Island.”
“Probably with me!”
“No, it wasn’t you, Jules,” Juster added, though he explained that they already shared a roof. Stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1956, Juster had found a garden apartment—“That’s what they call a basement room in Brooklyn,” Feiffer noted—in the Brooklyn Heights building where Feiffer was living, two floors up.
“My guilt for not doing it was overwhelming,” Juster continued. “So I started work on a little story about a kid who didn’t know what to do with himself, and didn’t like to learn. It was Milo! At that point, I just kept writing. When I finished the book, I felt very worried and very guilty. I thought the Ford Foundation was going to demand the money back.”
“I wondered what became of our money,” Feiffer said.
“After the book came out, I never heard from them. Long time later, I found that they were delighted about it.”

Read it quickly--The New Yorker tends to archive its articles every week. Also, Michael Chabon, author of Wonderboys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavallier and Clay, wrote a great little essay in The New York Review of Books about his introduction to The Phantom Tollbooth

Finally: the fascinating and sad tale of the inheritor of the rights of Goodnight Moon.

It's Lane Smith's Birthday!

2011-08-25T07:59:00.000-04:00

And you know how much I love him. (1 | 2) Well, here is a preview of his newest book, Grandpa Green. It looks lovely!

Happy Birthday Maurice Sendak!

2011-06-10T09:30:00.000-04:00

Today is Maurice Sendak's 83rd Birthday! So I thought I'd quickly remind you of my favorite Maurice Sendak books:

+ The Juniper Tree: Grimm's Fairy tales are of course rather...grim...but for an older child, this is perhaps your best bet for an illustrated version. Sendak's distorted proportions and hints at the grotesque match perfectly with the darker element in these stories. The translation is fine, and the selection of stories excellent. NOT bedtime reading, though...

+ What Do You Say, Dear? and What Do You Do, Dear? are perhaps my favorite Sendak books--and certainly my favorite manners books. Wry and delightful, with outlandish situations that serve as gentle reminders for daily life. (Photo, above)

+ A Hole Is To Dig is one of those books that is as entertaining for a child as it is for an adult. "A first book of definitions" is was created by asking children what different objects and actions meant. Of course kids say the darndest things--we all know this--but sometime they offer quite profound answers as well. This will delight and entertain and perhaps teach a little something about the way we think and the way we see.

Other favorites that I have not reviewed:
+ Nutshell Library (a Caldecott winner)
+ In the Night Kitchen (a Caldecott winner)
+ Mommy? (one of the best pop up books)
+ Seven Little Monsters
+ Kenny's Window
+ I'll Be You and You Be Me (another from Ruth Krauss)

And if you really love Sendak, I recommend visiting the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia, which has a collection of his papers and drawings on view.

Finally: my favorite Sendak quote:
Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

Happy Birthday J.M. Barrie

2011-05-10T09:02:00.000-04:00

Super fun, guys: yesterday was the birthday of J.M. Barrie! As many of your know, Peter Pan is one of my favorite children's books. I wrote my thesis on it and the development of the moral imagination in childhood and in turn Wedny's moral development in the story. When I had successfully defended my thesis, my English professor pulled me into his office and said: "I have a Ph.D. in literature. I speak French, Italian, Old English. I have written several books on the romances of William Shakespeare. I am the chair of an English department. But when I take my kids to the library, I have no idea where to begin." Thus the seed was planted for Little Lamb Books.

So happy birthday, Mr. Barrie. And thanks for the lifetime of inspiration.

By the way: if you want to study this book, I highly recommend purchasing the Oxford Edition, which has wonderful footnotes and introduction. For enjoyment's sake there are many illustrated versions.

Profile of a Favorite: Allan Ahlberg

2011-05-04T09:29:00.002-04:00

I get questions all the time about what authors and illustrators I really love, or what books should a new parent purchase for their little ones. It's actually a shockingly difficult question to answer since there are so many wonderful books, I have way too many favorites, and besides your taste is not the same as mine. So I usually recommend authors: Tomie de Paola, Leo Politi, Sandra Boynton, Lizbeth Zwerger, etc.

From Janet and Allan Ahlberg's Peek-a-boo!

Allan Ahlberg, who wrote picture books with his wife Janet, and since she's passed away has had continued success on his own, is another name for that list. The Guardian recently wrote a profile of Allan Ahlberg which reminded me that I don't proclaim how awesome he is enough on the blog:

Of all the books the husband-and-wife team created together, Peepo! is perhaps the best-loved. Thirty years old this year, it is firmly established as a classic for toddlers and babies. Its simple, rhythmic text and richly detailed illustrations tell the story of a day in the life of a baby in the 1940s, from breakfast to bedtime, with the added fun of a circular cut-out on every other page so that the next part of the story peeps through.

While it took Allan just three or four weeks to write the gentle little story, Janet spent months creating the pictures, which are packed with absorbing detail. The cosy scenes of working-class domesticity are filled with period detail, from the tin bath in front of the coal fire and the outside lavatory in the backyard to the baby's sturdy black perambulator. "This was Janet's bible," says Ahlberg, pulling down a battered old red hardback edition of The Army and Navy Stores Catalogue, 1939-1940. "In the days before computers, if she wanted to see what a jug or a mangle or a wringer looked like, she could check it out in here. She loved this book; she would get waylaid in it and sit for ages looking at bread-bins and kettles."

This is precisely what I love about their books: they are filled to the brim with familiar life. Perhaps they aren't the same bed posts and ironing boards and uncleared dishes and limp teddy bears that we all grew up with--but they are close. And, somehow in spite of all the clutter, their homes feel homey, full of life, real. (Weary parents are one of her specialties.) And there is always, very real, the hard part of life standing in the background:

The war, never mentioned explicitly in the text, is lightly gestured at in Janet's pictures: a bombed-out building in the far distance; a gas-mask box hanging off the end of a bed-knob; the poignancy of the father dressed in uniform as he kisses his baby son goodnight at the end of the story. For Ahlberg, this balance between words and pictures is precisely what a picture book is about. ...It's a description of an unshowy style of writing that mirrors Ahlberg's modesty about his own talents. "I'm far from being the best writer in the world, and Janet was very good but she wasn't the greatest illustrator in the world either. But the pair of us were twins in the sense that we both really wanted our books to be good. So it's as though we took my modest talent and we took Janet's modest talent and we poured it into a tiny 32-page thing."

From Janet and Allan Ahlberg's The Baby's Catalog

Please read the whole interview--it talks about his upbringing in a rough factory town in the Black Countries, and how he met his wife, and how they got started writing and illustrating together, and what inspired some of their most successful books.

When you're done admiring this remarkable man, check out the reviews I have written of my favorite of his books (what?! Only two reviews!): Peepo or Peek-a-Boo! and The Baby's Catalogue

Other favorites which I have not reviewed include:

Each Peach Pear Plum was our family favorite board book...besides Moo Ba La La La. It wonderfully integrates a bunch of fairy tales and Mother Goose stories into one hide and seek board book--and the pictures are just lovely! Janet won the Kate Greenaway Medal for it in 1978

The Pencil and The Runaway Dinner: Illustrated by Bruce Ingman, these are more recent capers written by Mr. Ahlberg, and they really are the most fun!

The Jolly Postman: He and Mrs. Ahlberg developed a series around the "jolly postman"--but I like the original best.

It was a Dark and Stormy Night: This is the perfect long-form storybook for feisty boys: it has adventure and pirates and spunkiness and creativity and is just bursting with fun.

Starting School: Like The Baby's Catalogue this is a wonderful primer for kids about to start school.

By the way, his daughter has carried on with the family tradition: Jessica Ahlberg is the illustrator of the Toon Tellengren books I love so very much. Father and Daughter are working on a set of inverted fairytales called The Goldilock Variations which, I hope, will be out soon! You'll hear about it when they are, I can promise you that.

Allan Ahlberg in his studio.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

2011-04-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
by Henry Wadsworth Lonfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,

Illustrated by Ted Rand

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread

Engavings by Christopher Bing

Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,

Retold and Illustrated by Charles Santore
(Santore places us in the Tavern where Longfellow
first told this poem. A fun and engaging approach.)

And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
>From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

Easter Roundup

2011-04-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Pollacco

Oh, guys. I am sorry. I really haven't abandoned this blog. There are so so so many books I want to tell you about! But there are a few other projects I am working on right now, and poor LLB is getting the slip. Well, it's time for my annual Easter Book Roundup. You've still got plenty of time to purchase these books for the Easter Basket.

Easter baskets are a big deal in our house. We don't get big gifts, but growing up we definitely got more than just see's candy. Usually it was either a book or a movie. (The best year was when we each got our very own Looney Tunes Videocassette.) Incidentally, my parents are celebrating their first Easter without kids at home this year. Mom always did the work on these baskets, just like she does for the Christmas stockings. I'm so curious whether she and Dad will exchange gifts this year. Well...I sent something, but parents these days are so bad at self control. I really don't think they'll wait till Easter to open my package.

Anyway, I know a lot of parents use the Easter basket as a time to buy another religious picture book for their collections. But don't forget the silly books too! For reviews of my favorite "secular" Easter Books, including The Easter Egg Artists and Roger Duvoisin's Easter Treat click here. Many of these books are out of print, unfortunately. But you should be able to find used copies, if you keep your eyes peeled--year round.

There are a number of Easter books that aren't biblical, but are still generally religious. Reschenka's Eggs (above) by Patricia Pollacco. It succesffuly draws together some of the most wonderful Easter customs and traditions: the coming of Spring, the decoration of eggs, the joy of rebirth and resurrection. It is a feast for the eyes, and a joy for the heart, and therefore, it is perfect for Easter. My full review is here. I've also just learned of Tasha Tudor's A Tale for Easter, which seems to fall in this same category. And is lovely. Because everything she did was lovely.

My very favorite Easter book is sadly out of print and difficult and expensive to find. Petook: An Easter Story was part of Caryll Houselander's collection of short stories for boys and girls (some of them are available in Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls--but not Petook--still, it'd be a good book for older kids!). Tomie dePaola illustrated this version (the one I have), and it is just perfect. Read my review.

Here is a quick list of other religious books that would be great for the Easter Basket (links direct you to my previous reviews):

+ Biblical stories and adaptations by Brian Wildsmith
+ Saint books by dePaola (again) and others
+ The new Ignatius Press books: 1, 2.
+ The Story of Easter by Aileen Fisher and Stefano Vitale
+ At Jerusalem's Gate by Nikki Grimes
+ All Things Bright and Beautiful by Ashley Bryan

Jesus by Brian Wildsmith

Some Books to Look Forward To This Spring

2011-03-23T08:02:00.001-04:00

The Crows of Pearblossom
by Aldous Huxley
illustrated by Sophie Blackall

(of Big Red Lollipop fame)
Were you just thinking: Aldous Huxley wrote children's books.
Because I know I did. This is so great!

That's How

by Christoph Niemann

(I recently discovered his work: playful and energetic

and imaginative, and while it would be favored by anyone,

I think his books are especially suited to boys.)

Bring on the Birds

by Susan Stockdale

(review)

Brilliantly illustrated and truly delightful

The Illustrated Acts of the Apostles

by Jean-Francois Kieffer and Christine Ponsard

Another in the innovative graphic-novel style retellings of the Bible, from Ignatius Press.

Read about their first release, The Illustrated Gospel, here.

And I know I am a total cheeseball to admit it, but I am really excited about Just Being Audrey by Margaret Cardillo. It seems pretty harmless, if a little too idolizing, and I don't know any little girl who hasn't fallen in love with Audrey Hepburn when she first came across her (for me, probably for most, it was My Fair Lady that did me in). So, I will relish this, and that's that.

Taming the Savages: Kids and Music

2011-03-16T09:04:00.001-04:00

Red Priest at the National Gallery of Art

If you follow 10KP, then you know that I spent February considering some great pieces of music with my friends Rebecca & Jack. We've been blogging about our musical adventures on their new years resolution blog, 12. For our last musical piece we took their 4 year old, Spoon (who, by the way, was a major inspiration for this blog!) to a Vivaldi concert at the National Gallery. The performers, Red Priest, played several pre-Vivaldi Baroque pieces, as well as the famous, engaging, lovely and familiar Four Seasons. (They have a Youtube channel. Check them out. They're amazing.) This was Spoon's first concert, and she knows The Four Seasons really well (its a great way to introduce kids to Classical music because there is such clear imagery in it), so she was just thrilled. They put on a wild and fun show--and she was enthralled.

I still haven't posted my thoughts on the Vivaldi concert, but I wanted to share with you some of Rebecca's thoughts, because they will prove interesting to all you parents out there, I think. Rebecca is a stay at home mom, and, besides Spoon, has 15-month old twins. Here are her thoughts on music and child-rearing (or, perhaps, cultivating is a better word):

I was reminded though, sitting in the midst of the dimly lit potted green palms and smooth marble columns, with others surrounding me who were not micturating in their own pants, that the whole aim of my business with the children is precisely not just scraping up filth and responding to constant need. It is in fact to lead these savages to not only engage in order and loveliness, but to seek it out. To rule their intensely real emotions, whims, and needs by self-control--being convinced of what it true, beautiful, and good. And because of this to revel even more fully in the wild tumults of creation, creativity, and passion.

...The delight though, for me, was something beyond just hearing afresh the overplayed, under-attended music of Vivaldi. The Baroque seems to easily signify the heights of civilization that I am striving for in raising our children. In all it's force and beauty--the struggle of bombast and storm against the exquisite limitations of an instrument played by a man. Encapsulated by the sheer delight of the musicians with each other (community), their shared endeavor (politics), they produced music that delighted their audience (articulate communication)--producing both wild flights of imagination, the exultation in the sheer capacities of man, and the pathos of the storm, the struggle with nature, drunkenness, and the hunt.

The tensions between fancy and storm were not merely competing experientially, but rather made coherent a whole experience of life, and this only made possible by the devoted study of music and practiced skill of the players.

What could be a better view of our lively engagement with the world as God has given it to us to pursue?

There's more: read it all here. For more posts on music: click here. For Red Priest's music: click here.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

I always forget about Dr. Seuss. I know that seems ridiculous, but he is totally ubiquitous, and there isn't really anything new to discover of his works, and everyone already has their favorites, so I never think to write about him. But today's his birthday, so I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorites. Perhaps you will discover something you don't know:

My all time favorite Dr. Seuss Books were: Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (above).

I didn't know If I Ran the Zoo when I was a kid, but it is one of my favorites now! (Is anyone surprised by this? I love zoos.)

And my friend Ava gave me Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book, which is very very silly and delightful.

This is a really fun board book about colors. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher have made new paintings to accompany the text by Dr. Seuss. I know Seuss was more of an artist than a writer, and it is impossible to imagine the Llorax any different from how he drew him, but I won't why more people don't do this. It would be a great project (if only an exercise) for an aspiring illustrator.

But the very very best of Dr. Seuss isn't a book at all: it's a movie. We grew up on his one film, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T, and it is now out on DVD for a whole new generation to enjoy. Staring Tommy Rettig (one of the boys in Lassie) and Hans Conreid (a great and underrated character actor), it is about a little boy who falls asleep while practicing his piano, and has the strangest dream. His piano teacher, Dr. T, has created a school for boys, with a 500 person piano, become engaged to Bart's mother, and hired the local plumber to do all his handy work. It is funny, strange, at times quite chilling, at other times very heartwarming. It bends the imagination, and engages on almost every level. And it actually teaches an awful lot about music in the meantime. I'll warn you: it is strange, it's thoroughly Dr. Seuss. And it's grand. Here's the trailer (oh, what a funny little time capsule), and my two favorite scenes from the film (Buy it here!):

The Essential Starter Library

2011-02-23T08:51:00.002-05:00

Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox and Jan Thomas

My dear friends (known on 10KP as Curry and Boy Wonder) are expecting their first child (a boy) in April. Curry asked me to compile a list of essential picture books to register for, and I jumped at the chance. I know you want to see it too. (The links are either to my reviews or direct to Amazon when I haven't written a review.)

The Classics
This is the category of books you'll always find in print and at big-box bookshops, though strangely not that often at used bookstores and library sales, because people just never get rid of them. They have been passed on for at least one generation, some 2, 3, 5 generations. Everyone has their favorites. Some people hate Goodnight Moon and The Little Engine that Could and others love them. Here are my 5 classics:

1) Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. (Also, Blueberries for Sal, though really, you can't go wrong with any of his books.)
2) Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Garth Williams (the perfect lesson in a Mother's love).
3) Mother Goose: You can pick any illustrator, though my favorites are the classic and Rosemary Well's. Get a complete one, so that you add variety to your bedtime reading. Similarly, you can't go wrong with the complete Beatrix Potter.
4) The entire Babar series. Or Curious George if you like mischievious monkeys and yellow suits.
5) Moo, Baa, La La La is clearly the best board book ever created, which is why I got it for them already, but all of Sandra Boynton's other board books are winners too.

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson & Beth Krommes

The New Classics
I've said this before, but we are in a golden age of picture books, and so many wonderful books are being released every year. If I could only pick a few to include in my library they'd be:

1) Recent Caldecott winners The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney; A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip and Erin Stead (I know, I know, I have to review this still.) (Ps. I already got this for Curry, and she fell in love!); and The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson and Beth Krommes (review here).
3) How I Learned Geography and When I Wore My Sailor Suit by Uri Schulevitz. Nothing captures imagination and knowledge quite so well.
4) The Squirrel's Birthday by Toon Tellengren is perhaps the dearest book I've discovered since I started LLB. A classic in Finland, these are finally being translated into English, and will be as dear in my home as Pooh or Beatrix Potter. They can be read aloud at a very young age.
5) Little Pea--in board book or hardcover--by Amy Krause Rosenthal and illustrated by Jen Corace. Silly and charming.

The Song of Francis by Tomie DePaola

The Religious
There are not as many great illustrated picture books with a religious theme as I would like, but there are a few masters of the field.

1) Tomie de Paola's Illustrated Bible Stories, Song of Francis, Petook: An Easter Story, and Mary the Mother of Jesus
2) While Lizbeth Zwerger's Stories from the Bible is a treasure, Matie Roche's board book Bible for Little Ones is awfully good for babies and toddlers to bring to Church.
3) Leo Politi's Song of the Swallows--this baby's parents were married in a Mission. Politi is essential. (If only they'd reprint The Mission Bell.) Though, really, Politi is essential in my mind always.
4) Saint George and the Dragon adapted from The Fairie Queen by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Ok, so this is mostly myth and poetry, but it is really one of the very best books about courage and chivalry. Plus: dragons!
5) Christopher Wormell's woodcut bible books (The Animals Came Two by Two and his nativity book Through the Animal's Eyes) are available in both board book and hard cover. They have stunning illustrations, and the board books are especially good for infants and toddlers.

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

The Weird
Curry specifically asked me for some "weird" picture books. These fit, I think:

1) Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley is hilarious.
2) A new illustrator that can do absolutely no wrong in my books is Emily Gravett. Dogs and The Odd Egg are my favorite, and I am so thrilled to see what comes next from her.
3) Anything by Daniel Pinkwater
4) No one will be surprised when I share...again...The Adventures of Cow. But I think Curry will like even more Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox and Jan Thomas which is hilarious! (above)
5) When he's older he'll love the odd humor of James Thurber's The Wonderful O (review) and The Thirteen Clocks.

What Do You Do, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin and Maurice Sendak

Because It's a Boy!
These are particularly suited to boys, though, honestly, they will be universally liked.

1) D'Aulaire's Norse Myths and Greek Myths. (Dude, my parents read these to use from the time we were born. They are fantastic adaptations.)
2) The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson is one of the greatest picture books ever.
3) What Do You Say, Dear? and What Do You Do, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin and illustrated by Maruice Sendak. These manner books aren't specific to boys, but they are probably the funniest and best way for you to approach the subject to boys. Because, honestly, it's good to know you can be a pirate and still be polite.
4) New books that are so completely BOY: Lets Do Nothing by Tony Fucile, Harry and Horsey by Katie Van Camp and Lincoln Agnew, The Super Hungry Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and (for the older set) Moonshot by Brian Floca
5) When he's older he will come to appreciate the very fine adaptation by James Rumford of Beowulf

This is New York by M. Sasek

Because He'll Be Born in NYC
I am a big believer in learning about new places through picture books. But I am just as much a believer in learning about your place through picture books--especially since our generation is so transient that our children will probably not grown up where they're born. There are thousands of picture books about NYC, but, interestingly, none that really stand out the way Make Way for Ducklings stands out for Boston. Still, here are some favorites:

1) The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge by Hildegarde H. Swift and illustrated by Lyn Ward is one of my all time favorite books.
2) Unbuilding by David Macaulay (really...all his books!)
3) Two new NYC books that delight: Next Stop Grand Central by Maria Kalman, and The Lonely Phone Booth by Peter Ackerman
4) The "This Is" series by Czech illustrator M. Sasek are all wonderful. His This is New York is exceptionally good. It shows a very different city, and yet, so much the same! (And, while we're at it, get This is the Way to San Francisco too!)
5) There are a lot of chapter books set in New York, but two stand above the rest: E. B. White's Stuart Little and E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

What books do you see as essentials for a starter library?

Some Changes at LLB

2011-02-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed, I am not hanging around LLB all that often these days. As the new year dawned, I knew I had to sit back and seriously rethink my commitments--including all the blogging that I do. When I started LLB, I was in a very different place. I thought I wanted to go into publishing; I had a much less demanding job; I had a quieter easier paced life; I knew all the good bookshops in my area and could drive to them easily. Now I have a job that takes so much out of me, plus a two hour commute; I have no regular schedule after work, and a second job to cope with too, no car, and no good bookstores within an easy walking or even metro distance. And I don't want to be in children's book publishing.

So what was a hobby, and a way to explore the wonderful world of picture books has turned into something of a chore. I doubt your surprised--last year I blogged much less than the first year of LLB, and, though my readership has gone up, my quality has gone down. All the same, your sweet notes and emails have made me anxious to get back. So what to do?

Well, for starters: I am only going to publish one review a week, on Tuesdays, usually. This will give me the chance to really focus on the review, and give you all the best information possible. You'll know, when I review something, that its because I really really want to do so. Every month or so, I will also do a round up of other books of interest, with short, one line reviews.

I am also hoping to welcome a guest blogger in the coming months--a mom I went to college with, who is expecting her second girl later this spring. I hope you'll keep reading, and I really am grateful for all the attention you have continued to give the blog over the past couple months. I hope that these changes will really be for the good: better reviews, better books, and a lot more fun.

And speaking of fun...

Today's the Day: Zita the Spacegirl Released!

2011-02-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Zita the Spacegirl
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Ben Hatke
PUBLISHED BY: First Second (a division of MacMillan)
ISBN: 978-1596434462
PURCHASE: hardcover or paperback

Oh, friends! I am so so happy to tell you that today is the official release date of Ben Hatke's first graphic novel, Zita the Spacegirl. You might remember Zita the Spacegirl. I've only been talking about it for the last 6 months.

Ben is a dear friend, and so I am especially thrilled about this book. But I am not promoting it because he is a friend, I am promoting it because it is excellent. In fact, reading it was the most fun I've had reading a book in ages. I love it.

Oh, and check out this great article about writing with a pack of "boisterous girls" on MacMillan's blog:

Actually AS I WRITE THIS ARTICLE, my eight-year-old daughter is telling me about all the magical things that she’d seen in an indoor antique emporium, including blown eggs, a mouse diorama, and a chicken wagon (can you imagine something called a chicken wagon?). Now on the one hand (she’s still talking), this is a TREMENDOUS DISTRACTION because I’m supposed to turn this article in in the morning. On the other hand, how can a storyteller not be inspired by an eight-year-old’s description of blown eggs and chicken wagons?

I promise a full review next week, but right now, let me just note: if any of you are DC readers, you have a chance to meet Ben and hear him talk about his book and writing and illustrating process at Politics and Prose on February 17. He'll be signing books, too. But you better get there early, because I am buying 20 copies, and he's going to sign them all. (I'm not even kidding.)

Links: Ben's personal blog and portfolio; Zita the Space Girl website; First Second Books.

Read an excerpt here.

Le Petit Nicholas Movie!

2011-01-19T08:42:00.001-05:00

A lot of people don't like the Jean Jacques Sempe La Petit Nicholas books, but I think they are completely hilarious, and I recommend them to every mother of boys, and every teacher of 3rd through 6th grade. And perhaps to a select few boys themselves.

Now I find there was a movie made, last year, in France. And I am dying to see it. But it hasn't been released in the US. In the meantime I shall satisfy my curiosity with the hilarious and adorable credits, which you can watch here. They use Sempe's illustrations and pop-up techniques, and are really marvelous.

Other Awards from the ALA

2011-01-12T08:11:00.001-05:00

Several other award were given and announced last Monday at the ALA Conference. Of note to our readers:

via

Tomie dePaola wins the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for Substantial and Lasting Contributions to Children's Literature. Substantial, and lasting, and AWESOME. Check out all my dePaola reviews here.

Brian Floca will have a chance to knock our socks off again next year, in the meantime, his work on Ballet for Martha won a Siebert award for illustrated non-fiction.

Bink and Gollie did not win the Caldecott, but it did win the T. S. Giesel Award for most distinguished book for beginning readers. Named after the real Dr. Seuss, this awards text heavy picture books for 1st and 2nd graders. A fun and worthy choice.

A Golden Day for Amos McGee!

2011-01-10T13:28:00.001-05:00

A Sick Day for Amos McGee wins the Caldecott! Wahoo! (Now buy the first edition!)

Honor Books:
+ Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill (Amazon)
+ Interrupting Chicken, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein (Amazon)

Interrupting Chicken is hilarious, and I can't believe I forgot about it, because I was literally laughing out loud in the middle of Barnes and Noble while reading it.

Full reviews of the Caldecott Medalists later this week!

LLB's Caldecott Predictions

2011-01-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

Monday morning the Caldecott and Newberry Awards will be announced at the ALA's annual meeting (this time taking place in sunny San Diego). I know little about the Newberry Award chances, as I rarely have time (or frankly, inclination) to read the chapter books being released these days. But the Caldecott--picture books--that is my forte.

In past years there is always a general consensus about two of the three titles that win Caldecotts. Everyone knew The Lion and the Mouse would win last year, and many predicted All the World, but I didn't see Red Sings from the Tree Tops on anyone's list. Remember, the Caldecott honors the highest achievement in illustration--not necessarily story--in picture books of the previous year (2010).

Fuse #8 proclaimed it a wild-card year, and that is absolutely true. There are lots of names being thrown around, and not much consensus. Of the titles mentioned, some are stronger than others:

+ City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems and illustrated by Jon J. Muth has been the critics and school children's darling favorite since it was released this June. It left me completely unfazed, but if the kids love it...The illustrations were wonderful.

+ Here Comes the Garbage Barge! by Jonah Winter might just break the unspoken photographs-don't-count-as-illustrations rule. Critics are putting it on their lists, and I confess, I can see why. The amazing 3d sculptures made out of polymer clay, assorted trash, and lots of plastic bags, created by Red Nose Studio, are completely remarkable. It seems to me that we should consider photography as simply the medium--like scanning collages or making lithographs--and nothing more. (Check out this fascinating video about the making of these sculptures.)

+ Art and Max by David Wiesner is another favorite of both critics and school kids. It seems a little to inaccessible to me, though with an art focus it has a leg up in the competition. Should he win, it would be his fourth Caldecott--a record!

+ Chalk by Bill Thompson is a wordless picture book that has been getting a lot of attention. I have not read it, so I don't even know what it is about...except, clearly, it's about a dinosaur.

+ Bink and Gollie by Kate diCamillo and Alison McGhee, and illustrated by Tony Fucile. I loved Fucile's first picture book Let's Do Nothing! and I like seeing the Caldecott's have a sense of humor, so his playful illustrations would be a refreshing change, but I really didn't think they were that amazing. In fact, I completely forgot I had read this book earlier this year.

+ Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall, which I haven't found yet (sad face) was predicted as an honor book by Travis of 100 Scope Notes, and the comments seem to agree, but I haven't seen it mentioned elsewhere.

Meanwhile, other favorites of 2010 are being mentioned elsewhere. There has been a little buzz about Henry in Love, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Farm, and Shadow. Alas, a hat-trick for Marla Frazee is unlikely; though The Boss Baby is great fun, its not as good as last year's All The World or the previous year's A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. Alan Say's The Boy in the Garden is also being talked about; it is not revolutionary, but it is good, solid, lovely.

If I were on the committee I'd pick:

CALDECOTT MEDAL: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip and Erin Stead. As I said in First Things, this is a genuine new classic: the illustrations and the charming storyline are in perfect harmony, already firmly planted in my own imagination. I don't see how it can't win.

CALDECOTT HONOR: A Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg, Sandra Jordan and illustrated by Brian Floca. As far as I am concerned, I think Floca was cheated out of a Caldecott last year--his glorious Moonshot was most deserving. This subject (the making of the ballet Appalachian Spring) is less appealing, but the text is graceful, and the illustrations are magnificent. It will almost surely win the non-fiction Siebert Award. But give him a Caldecott already!

CALDECOTT HONOR: And if Nikki McClure's collaboration with Cynthia Rylant (All in a Day) last year didn't pan out, perhaps this year's Mama is it Summer Yet? will be a contender. It's splash was minimal, but it is a beautiful book.

We'll see, on Monday.

Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona

2011-01-06T08:40:00.001-05:00

+++ UPDATE +++
I've removed the embedded video because it played every time you loaded the home page. But you can find the video of Tomie dePaola reading Strega Nona by clicking here.

Best Books of 2010 on First Things

2010-12-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip and Erin Stead

My picks for the best picture books of 2010 are posted on the First Things blog, First Thoughts. Check them out here. (Longer reviews of these books will be coming up in the next few weeks.)

Christmas Roundup

2010-12-16T13:55:00.001-05:00

Hey guys: sorry for the radio silence. There is much to much to do and so little time. And I am preparing a last minute-due-immediately write-up of the best picture books of 2010, which will be published next week, so a lot of my wit and wisdom is being directed there. The blog is an afterthought, I am sorry to say.

Here is a round up of my favorite Christmas reviews. You've still got plent of time to pick these and other titles from the Little Lamb Bookshop. These are what I consider to be essentials.

Lizbeth Zwerger has amazingly beautiful Christmas stories, including The Night Before Christmas (above), The Nutcracker, and The Gift of the Magi. Find reviews here. And don't shy away from giving your kids The Gift of the Magi. I didn't understand it as a child, but it stuck, somehow, and not that I understand it (somewhat) is has not lost its power to captivate me.

Christopher Wormell's papercut biblical books are among the best, illustration wise. They are also beautifully bound--a real treasure under the Christmas tree. This is Through The Animal's Eyes.

Leop Politi and Tomie De Paola both revist the Las Posadas tradition with beautiful storytelling and lovely illustrations. Find the review here.

I was going to buy my Father Amahl and the Night Visitors DVD for Christmas, but he discovered it two weeks ago and bought it for himself (he really is the worst to buy presents for!) I know he won't appreciate the picture book too much (though he might when he has grandkids), but I think it's lovely.

Other favorites:
+ The Gifts by Regina Fackelmayer
+ Santa's Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki
+ Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd
+ ANYTHING by Tomie dePaola

The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska

2010-12-14T08:25:00.000-05:00

TITLE: The Quiet Book
AUTHOR: Deborah Underwood
ILLUSTRATOR: Renata Liwska
PUBLISHED BY: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 978-0547215679
PURCHASE: Amazon

Of all the titles that people have been buzzing about this year, The Quiet Book seemed least intriguing to me. I don't know if it was the cover, or if I had read something about it and just rolled my eyes, but I consistently, stubbornly failed to pick it up at the store. Until two weeks ago, when I found myself with a big pile of books to read through quickly before finishing my Christmas shopping. It was the only book I read straight through. It is WONDERFUL.

The premise is simple but engaging: every page tells of (and shows in charming little illustrations) a different kinds of quiet: "Coloring in the lines quiet." "Hide and Seek quiet." "Pretending your invisible quiet." "Right before you yell SURPRISE quiet."

Eventually there is a little chronology in the narrative: An aunt comes and brings a pet iguana (wondering if iguana's bite quiet), and the iguana is featured in subsequent drawings. Then they all go to a concert together: "Before the concert starts quiet. Trying not to hiccup quiet."

This is a lovely bedtime or nap-time book--richly imaginative, charming, and very sweet.

New Christmas Books

2010-12-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

The Horn Book posted a round up of new Christmas books, so I thought I'd share it with you today rather than re-posting an old Christmas review. The picture above is from Christmas is Here, by Lauren Castillo, which I will review in full later this week. I'll also be reviewing the charming The Christmas Giant later this week--which I liked so much I bought!

And I Love You by Ruth Krauss and Stephen Kellogg

2010-12-13T08:17:00.000-05:00

TITLE: And I Love You
AUTHOR: Ruth Krauss
ILLUSTRATOR: Steven Kellog
PUBLISHED BY: Orchard Books, October 2010
ISBN: 978-0439024594
PURCHASE: Amazon

I cannot possibly express my excitement when I saw a Steven Kellogg book staring at me on the top of the new release shelf. I think Kellogg is especially beloved of children from my generation, since he was most popular in the mid to late 80's, and we all grew up talking about Jimmy's troublesome Boa. But, he's still alive (I really shouldn't be surprised by this--he's actually in his 60's) and producing books. And they are wonderful.

I get the feeling this was a special project for him. The text by the brilliant Ruth Krauss was originally published in 1987 as Big and Little. And Kellogg's masterful vibrant illustrations breathe new immediacy into Krauss' sweet little poem, which begins:

Big forests
Love little trees
Big fields
Love little flowers
Big monkeys
Love little monkeyshines
And I love you.

I wish I could show you the illustrations. They are painterly, vibrant, abstract at times, soaring and powerful. Some reviewers caution that children won't understand them, but as I was reading them, I was reminded of the stirring images in (oh, my favorite!) The Runaway Bunny--the mother becomes the wind and the clouds and the tree. Those images were odd and confused me as a child, but they also stayed with me, and had a powerful affect on my understanding of what it means to be a mother. Kellogg's images are likewise powerful and provocative; if not wholly understandable to a small child--they certainly won't scare him, and they might such inspire him with wonder.

I highly recommend this book. It is a departure from Kellogg's rambunctious silliness, but a welcome departure. (I think it would be a wonderful bedtime book.)

Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-10T08:22:00.001-05:00

Oh dear! Yesterday I had no time to post, and today...well, last night I was distracted by the best Christmas movie ever (Die Hard!), and didn't get my new posts formatted either. So, you'll have to wait for new posts till next week. So sorry.

As a consolation prize, let me direct your attention to this lovely article about the creation of A Charlie Brown Christmas by Michael Canava in The Washington Post:

Before the steady stream of Emmy Awards and Grammy nominations and Oscar consideration came The Idea -- the one that producer-director Lee Mendelson, nearly a half-century later, calls with a certain zest "the best idea I've had in my entire life."

"I'd just made a documentary about the best baseball player in the world," Mendelson tells Comic Riffs, referring to his award-winning NBC work about Willie Mays. "So I decided to make a documentary about the worst baseball player in the world."

That, naturally, would be Charlie Brown. Mendelson read a "Peanuts" strip about the perennially losing hurler and thought: Why not make a documentary about the cartoon's creator?

It turned out to be the best pitch Mendelson ever made.

Mendelson called fellow Northern California resident Charles Schulz -- "his phone number was listed right in the book," the producer recalls -- and proposed the documentary. Fortunately, Mendelson says, Schulz had seen "A Man Named Mays" and liked it. "Sure, come on up," Schulz replied, so Mendelson motored up from San Francisco to Sebastopol and right there in the heart of wine country, the inspired ideas began to ferment and a 38-year friendship and creative partnership took root.

By 1965, the two men -- working with veteran Disney and Warner Bros. animator Bill Melendez -- collaborated on their first work, the holiday special "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a TV show that took chances and defied certain conventions (eschewing even a laugh track) and, ultimately, remained utterly authentic to the trio's collective vision.

He goes on to discuss their collaboration with Vince Guaraldi, the frenzied brainstorming session that created some of the iconic scenes, how the iconic "Christmas Time is Here" came into being. Do read it: it's fascinating.

TO BUY:
Charlie Brown Christmas
Charlie Brown Christmas with Vince Guaraldi: CD, MP3
BONUS: "Christmas Time is Here" is free on iTunes.

Re-Post: Mary the Mother of Jesus

2010-12-08T14:00:00.001-05:00

Sorrow has oppressed me, and my face has swelled with weeping, and my eyelashes have become darkly misted. --Antiphon from the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary

TITLE: Mary: The Mother of Jesus
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Tomie De Paola
PUBLISHED BY: Holiday House, 1995
ISBN: 9780823410187
PURCHASE: Amazon

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, as I mentioned before, so I am focusing on Mary. This is, by far, the most remarkable, beautiful, moving, joyful, present picture book dealing with the life of Mary that I have ever seen. It breaks my heart that it is no longer in print. Here's my review from last year:

You all know how I love de Paola, and indeed, I would be hard pressed to pick a true favorite of his books. But this beautiful book is high on my list of favorites, not only of his work but of all children's books. As usual, de Paola manages to blend the story of our Faith with true artistic merit, all the while making these stories accessible to children. It is as much a prayerful meditation as it is a story book.

Incorporating scripture and tradition, along with meditations from the antiphons of different Marian feast days, de Paola presents various important scenes from Mary's life. The text alone is well written and engaging--a lovely adaptation of the words of the Gospel. Facing each page of text is a corresponding icon of Mary--showing her first as a young girl, then a bride, then the wondrous girl receiving the message of an angel, on through the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and her Assumption into Heaven.

In his introductory note, he says: "When I was an art student in 1956, I saw the Giotto frescoes of the life of Mary in the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy. I knew that some day I would attempt my own visual version of Mary's life. I have drawn on scripture, legend, and tradition for this praise of Mary the mother of Jesus." These drawings are done in de Paola's simple, clear, earthy style, so well adapted to religious elements. (I especially love his St. Joseph--solid yes gentle.) Above we see Mary comforted by St. John at the foot of the cross. It is not Caravaggio, but does not fail to move our hearts, evoking the pain and sorrow of that day.

My favorite illustration is of her betrothal to St. Joseph (below). He directly evokes Giotto's fresco of the same image with the arch and buildings in the background, and the lily-staff in St. Joseph's hand. They sky is that same deep azure and his use of perspective is similar. This image sums up what I love about de Paola: he knows all the classical motifs, techniques, and vocabulary, and he incorporates them into his work with his own style and voice.

The final image I'll share with you (below) is his illustration of the death of the Holy Innocents. Above this is the antiphon: "A voice was heard in Rama, moaning and wailing, Rachel weeping for her children." On the facing page is a beautiful image of Mary and the Christ Child, playing with a dove. From a young and impressionable age, I remember latching on to this heartbreaking story. It was presented to me well by my parents, and I have come to love the Holy Innocents more than almost any other Martyrs. Some parents may shy away from sharing this story, but I encourage you not to do so. De Paola presents it in the proper way: showing the sorrow and pain--evoking great pathos--and yet focusing on the beauty, joy and glory of their sacrifice. It is truly remarkable. This book is indeed a work of praise, and I encourage you all to track it down.

A note about finding this book: It was published by Holiday House and is sadly out of print. You can purchase it on Amazonor Albris. I found my copy--in perfect condition--at a used book store, and encourage you to scour the shelves for it. Or contact Holiday House and ask them to republish it!
For all my favorite Tomie De Paola books click here. For Tomie's blog click here.

The next morning, his staff had blossomed forth into leavers and flowers.

Now, Herod...fell into a rage and ordered that all children up to two years old be slaughtered in Bethlehem and its neighborhood.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, by Mary Joslin and Alison Wisenfeld

2010-12-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Mary, Mother of Jesus
AUTHOR: Mary Joslin
ILLUSTRATOR: Alison Wisenfeld
PUBLISHED BY: Loyola
ISBN: 978-0829413809
PURCHASE: Amazon

Mary Joslin is perhaps the second best (second to Tomie dePaola) children's book author dealing with religious subjects. She is a fine writer, and never makes her stories to pious or didactic--rather they are filled with live and character. In this beautiful book illustrating the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus (whose Immaculate Conception the Catholic Church celebrates today!), Mary is the one presenting the narrative herself. It begins:

When I was a girl I lived in a plain little town called Nazareth. It stands among the hills of Galilee north of Jerusalem. I remember so well one beautiful spring. The sky was blue, the hillsides around were covered with wildflowers, and everything in my life seemed sunny. I was nearly grown up, and my family had arranged that I should marry a good man named Joseph--Joseph the carpenter.

Thus we enter into Mary's heart as she tells us her life--and brings us closer to her Son. The watercolor illustrations by Alison Wisenfeld, are stunning in their simplicity and grace--firmly planted in the tradition of the great artists, yet fresh and new and bold in their own lovely way.

There are only 3 copies left, Amazon tells me, so be sure to grab one today. Also, check out their other collaboration: The Good Man of Assisi

Re-Post: Christmas Remembered by Tomie dePaola

2010-12-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Christmas Remembered
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR:Tomie dePaola
PUBLISHED BY: Puffin/Putnam, 2006
ISBN: 978-0142414811

In the first of 10 stories about Christmas in Tomie DePaola's Christmas, Remembered, he tells us of the first Christmas he remembers--the Christmas of the miraculous fireplace. When he was three years old, miraculously, a fireplace appeared in their dining room, complete with a bright ever-burning log and a cardboard Christmas Village on the mantle:

A few days before Christmas Eve, a fireplace miraculously appeared in our small living/dining room. It stood against the wall where, the day before, a china cupboard had stood. ...It's no wonder Christmas became my favorite holiday. It was a time of miracles--fireplaces appearing so Santa could visit, Flossie's famous Christmas village that all the neighbors came to see, and a glittering rotating "fire" in the fireplace that never seemed to consume the logs, although I can still remember the smell of "burning".

"Miracles" mark all of these memories. But for DePaola, miracles are part of everyday life--and no less powerful because they are created or sponsored by real people.

As a young man, dePaola spent a few years in a Benedictine Monastery, and describes his first Christmas there. He captures the sublime peace of the Christmas vigil during the "great silence." He also tells how he prayed earnestly for bells for the monastery. His fellow brother was scandalized that he prayed for such things, rather than for vocations, etc. But, on Christmas Eve Day, bells arrived from a longtime benefactor who had seen them at an auction. God answers all sorts of prayers, and provides miracles through the work of our hands.

Each one of his stories is a delight and a treasure. He is as captivated as a boy by the fireplace, or a working in a candy store, as he is by hosting huge parties for his friends and family with individual Christmas trees. His generous heart, and love for the (goodness, I hate this phrase) "true spirit of Christmas" is apparent on every page. And, he just has so much fun.

I'd gladly re-read this book every Christmas. And, as the intro says, it really is a book "for all ages"--to be read aloud and treasured. And, who knows, maybe it will inspire you to adopt some of his Christmas traditions for your own.

The monks entered the chapel to see my rustic statue of a young woman
sitting next to a pine branch shaped to hold a wooden bowl filled with straw.
Nestled in the straw was a Baby Jesus,
looking like a little wrapped loaf of Italian bread. The vigil began.

Buying 80 trees in San Francisco, in his VW bus.

Cats' Night Out by Caroline Stutson and J. Klassen

2010-12-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Cats' Night Out
AUTHOR: Caroline Stutson
ILLUSTRATOR: J. Klassen
PUBLISHED BY: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:978-1416940050
PURCHASE: Amazon

Discovering a book like this is the number one reason why I love independent bookstores. This Sunday I made my way up to Politics & Prose in Washington to finish up my Christmas shopping. Their Children's section is truly the best in the city, and I spent a good hour perusing their picture books finding many treasures I had not discovered before--including (and most especially) Cats' Night Out by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by J. Klassen. It was released in March, but has it been placed on any mainstream bookstore shelves? Alas, I have not seen it.

I hope you'll seek it out, because it is awfully fun. Stutson has written charming rhyming couplets describing the adventures of city cats in the evening--they dance, they dress up, they have a ball. The illustrations are great: the amber glow of city lights illumine the cats adventures, stylized, vaguely retro, almost like a stage set for a broadway play. Lots of fun.

Honestly, I don't know why there hasn't been more buzz about this book. I was charmed instantly. It is perhaps not as clever as John Burningham's It's A Secret which received a good deal of (deserved) attention as last year--but it is in the same class: fun, imaginative, wonderful to look at.

From Simon Says Blog

Re-Post: A Winter's Tale by Robert Sabuda

2010-12-06T13:52:00.000-05:00

TITLE: Winter's Tale
AUTHOR: Robert Sabuda
PUBLISHED BY: Little Simon, 2005
ISBN: 978-0689853630
PURCHASE: Amazon

I wish I knew how to create videos easily with my new camera. Because then I wouldn't have to try to find words to describe this magical book--I could just show you all the wonders hidden in its page. (Frankly, I am surprised there isn't a video somewhere online of someone flipping through this book.)

This isn't, strictly speaking, a Christmas book. But it is about the wonders of a deep winter, and it is so cozy and exciting that I feel it is perfectly suited to reading by the light of the Christmas tree. Golly, I wish it were Christmas right now, so I could settle down on the wool rug, with a big blanket, and dive into Sabuda's detailed, delicate, perfect pop-ups.

You've heard me praise Sabuda and his often collaborator Matthew Reinhart before, but this is the first Sabuda book I have owned. That I got it at a thrift store and Every Single Pop-Up still worked perfectly as if it were brand new should be enough to recommend this book to you. I assure you, your children will never cease to be amazed by the worlds Sabuda has created with a cut here and there. (What I want to know is how you construct so many so perfectly. That would be an awesome feature on that Discovery show with the boring announcer...oh what is it called?..."How Do They Make That?" or something. Help me out, Mom.)

Well, enough of my blabbering. Here's a photo:

A Look into the Work of Sandra Boynton

2010-12-06T08:06:00.001-05:00

St. Nicholas Books

2010-12-03T13:50:00.000-05:00

by Mary Joslin and Helen Cann

It is not too late to get your St. Nicholas books for St. Nick's day--which is Monday, December 6th. Here are a few of my favorites:

+ Saint Nicholas: The Story of the Real Santa Claus (Abe, Amazon, IndieBound), by Mary Joslin and Helen Cann (above). (Reviewed here.)

+ Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend, by Julie Steigmeyer and Chris Ellison (Amazon)

+ The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving, by Dandi Daley Mackall (Amazon)

+ The Legend of Saint Nicholas, by Demi (below) (Amazon)

+ The Miracle of Saint Nicholas by Gloria Whelan (Amazon)

Some More 2010 Picture Book Roundups:

2010-12-03T08:17:00.001-05:00

On Fuse #8, blogger and children's librarian extraodinaire, Betsy Bird has created a list of her 100 favorite books of the year, including 28 fiction picture books, 6 fairy tales, and a bunch of interesting non-fiction too. It's a great list, and I agree with her picture book picks entirely--of the ones I've read so far, that is.

Meanwhile (thanks to 100 Scope Notes), here are three mock Caldecott lists: one, two, three. As I've said before, nothing *really* stands out to me this year, not like The Lion and the Mouse did last year. But there are some awesome choices, like:

+ Paris in the Spring with Picasso (below), by Joan Yolleck, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman--who won for her Hot Air, reviewed here, in 2006.
+ A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip Christian Stead (which will be reviewed next week)
+ Allen Say's new The Boy in the Garden, which I have not seen anywhere, but am dying to get my hands on, because, as you know, Allen Say is amazing (above).
+ Two new Christmas books, which I will try to review next week: Rachel Isadora's 12 Days of Christmas and Laura Castillo's Christmas is Here, which takes its text from the King James.

As well as two of my favorites from the year: All Things Bright and Beautiful by Ashley Bryan and Henry in Love by Peter McCarty.

Paris in the Spring with Picasso

How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem by Norma Faber and Barbara Cooney

2010-12-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

TITLE: How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem
AUTHOR: Norma Faber
ILLUSTRATOR: Barbara Cooney
PUBLISHED BY: Currently out of print, previously published by Walker Books
ISBN: 978-0802796110
PURCHASE: Amazon

Following on the heel's of yesterday's Barbara Cooney love (I love her. I really do!), I thought I'd repost and expand my review of Norma Faber's classic How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem, which was illustrated by Barbara Cooney. In it the Star of Bethlehem creeps into the dens and caves of all the hibernating animals, like bears, and badgers, and turtles. They all awake, and come to due homage to Our Lord:

The star inserted a silver pass key, first at one keyhole, then at another. The locks of the hiding places sprang open. Skunk and Raccoon shook themselves. The followed slumbrously where they were led, as the star sang, Bethlehem!

Cooney is one of the best realist illustrators, and has created luminous winterscapes out of blues, rich browns, and the silver light of that great star.

I wish I had more of the illustrations for you, but I don't own this book, and there are no other images online. So, you'll just have to find it at your library, local book sale, or order a used copy from Amazon, because it really is a treasure. Also, be sure to check out this wonderful interview of Cooney from The Horn Book many years ago.

Ends Dec 5th: Friends and Family Sale at Chronicle Books

2010-12-02T08:54:00.000-05:00

You all know how much I love Chronicle Books. They have some of the funniest, most imaginative children's books produced today--and some awesome cookbooks as well. Well, they are having their annual Friends and Family Sale, with 35% off and free ground shipping. So, please--pop over to Chronicle Books by clicking below, and find some really fun wonderful books like:

+Shadow by Suzy Lee (reviewed here)
+ Out of Sight, by Pitteau and Gervais, a pop up book guessing game, where animals are identified by their characteristic markings
+ William Wondriska's A Long Piece of String, a reprint from the 60s, where a string wraps round the whole world (and beyond) pictured above
+ Day and Night by Teddy Newton--a picture book based on the wonderful short created by Pixar and shown before Toy Story 3.
+ An our old favorites, the Little Books (Little Pea, Little Oink, Little Hoot) by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Jen Corace (reviewed here)

Re-Post: The Holly and the Ivy by Rumer Godden and Barbara Cooney

2010-12-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

NB: While Christmas is approaching, I will post one Christmas Book review every afternoon--some new reviews and some reposts from last year. You can find all my Christmas reviews here, and you can find lots more wonderful Christmas books in the LLB Christmas Book Shop. Today I'm giving your two books by Barbara Cooney and Rumer Godden!

TITLE: The Story of Holly and Ivy
AUTHOR: Rumer Godden
ILLUSTRATOR: Barbara Cooney
PUBLISHED BY: Viking Juvenile, 2006
ISBN: 978-0670062195
PURCHASE: Amazon

Rumer Godden is in the air, of late. People kept mentioning to me her novel In This House of Brede, which is on my summer reading list, and her children's novels are seeing a bit of a resurgence: the New York Review of Books Children's Selections has published The Mousewife and Bethlehem Books has just reissued The Kitchen Madonna.

Her children's books are a bit too sentimental for my tastes (though I have no real objections to them), but, as we might expect, that sentimentality seems just right for a lovely Christmas story, like The Story of Holly and Ivy. It is about expectation, about love, about generosity of spirit, about finding a home. In it a little orphan girl wishes for a family, and for a doll of her own, like the one in the window of the shop. The doll, in turn, wishes for a little girl to take care of her. And a sad couple wishes for a family of their own.

Wonderfully illustrated by Barbara Cooney (who, you might remember, created one of my favorite Christmas stories, How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem), this is a must read for any girls ages 4-8. They will treasure it.

Re-Post: The Story of Christmas by Rumer Godden and Barbara Cooney

2010-12-01T08:26:00.007-05:00

TITLE: The Story of Christmas

AUTHOR: Barbara Cooney

ILLUSTRATOR: Loretta Krupinski

PUBLISHED BY: Harper Collins, 1995

ISBN: 978-0060234331

PURCHASE: Amazon

Well, as long as we are talking about Barbara Cooney (who, I am discovering, had quite the Christmas Book repertoire), I thought I'd like to bring to your attention her The Story of Christmas. Originally, she wrote and illustrated this book (though, I understand, it is very difficult to find her original). In the 90's, HarperCollins decided to republish this, with illustrations bu Loretta Krupinski (who is clearly indebted to Cooney's style).

My first few readings of this book left me rather ambivalent. It tells in simple unadorned prose the story of Christmas, as celebrated through history. Starting with the actual birth of Christ, she also tells of the "pagan" mid-winter festivals, Saturnalia, the legend of St. Nicholas, and the Scandinavian Santa Lucia tradition, concluding with the quiet religious joy of Christmas Eve.

Her prose is not thrilling (I always thought she was more eloquent with her paintbrush than pen), but somehow by the end, I could myself moved by her straightforward tone and obvious love of the season and its traditions. I knew all the things she talked about (and knew them at a young age), and think that her presentation would be a lovely way to begin to talk about the history of the Feast, and the different traditions that inform our celebration of it. An obvious believer, she always speaks with reverence toward Christ and his Birth, but also finds captivating the different rituals of the pagans that we brought into our celebration of Christmas (like the Yule log, evergreen mantles, and the lights representing both the sun and the Son).

Krupinski's illustrations are very pretty compliments to this book. This isn't a book you'll want to curl up and read with a cup of cocoa by the light of the Christmas tree, but it is no less worthy for being a sober appreciative account of the traditions that have been carried on through the 2000 years of celebrating the Brith of Christ.

Collecting the Yule Log

Santa Lucia

Re-Post: Harold at the North Pole by Crockett Johnson

2010-11-30T13:57:00.001-05:00

TITLE: Harold at the North Pole

AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Crockett Johnson

PUBLISHED BY: Harper Collins

ISBN: 978-0060586287

PURCHASE: Amazon

Harold and the Purple Crayon is, of course, a classic. With one color and one line, Crockett Johnson gave us the perfect illustration of the imaginative life of a little boy. It is an absolutely must own for any family.

But did you know, Johnson didn't stop at just one volume. Indeed, he made an entire series. They don't have the same immediacy and charm of the first book, but they are still quite good. One of my favorites happens to be a...Christmas Book. Sort of.

In Harold and the North Pole we find Harold waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. He decides if he really wants to see Santa, he must travel to the North Pole. So he draws the moon and big dipper, and many more stars. Then, because the North Pole has snow, he begins to draw a snow storm (and a grumpy snow man). But the blizzard is worse than he imagined. As he climbs a big drift, all he sees is snow--and then he realizes he's actually on Santa's workshop, and poor Santa is snowed in. Will Harold, and his trusty purple crayon save Christmas?

The narratives of Johnson's books feel like reading the minds of a 5 year old. There are certain things that are true and real and absolutes (like Santa's workshop is in the North Pole, and there is snow there too), and other things that adapt to changing circumstances (the snowman is grumpy because its too cold even for him. He obviously needs a muffler). His restrained simple drawings are a perfect balance to the imaginative (but not fantastic) workings of young Harold's mind.

When I found this on the shelf of my library, I realized that it was a rediscovery for me. We had this book growing up (or some friend did), and it is as dear to me as Harold's first adventure.

The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee

2010-11-30T08:13:00.000-05:00

TITLE: The Boss Baby
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Marla Frazee
PUBLISHED BY: Beach Lane Books
ISBN: 978-1442401679
PURCHASE: Amazon

Marla Frazee has had a very good couple of years. Her incredibly silly and delightful A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever won the Caldecott in 2008, and her evocative illustrations for All the World won a medal again last year. I will be very surprised if she wins again for The Boss Baby--a playful take on the way babies rule our lives. Don't get me wrong: the book is fantastically funny, a real delight, but I can't imagine it as Caldecott material.

In a dark suit onesie, with a commanding face, and outrageous demands, the Boss Baby clearly rules the lives of his family. He requires late hours, demands the perfect drink, throws a fit when things aren't done correctly--even if he never makes it clear what he wants. He's the worst boss to work for, and his poor parents look more and more haggard as the day wears on. Frazee's prose is simple and direct: "From the moment the Baby arrived, it was obvious that he was the boss. He put Mom and Dad on a round-the-clock schedule with no time off...If things weren't done to his immediate satisfaction, he threw a fit."

The illustrations really shine. With a few strokes, Frazee captures each expression of the baby. There is a slight retro feel to the drawings, and the surrounding environment is balanced with just enough detail to remain interesting. But the focus is always, clearly, on the baby.

So what happens when mom and dad collapse with exhaustion, and none of the babies demands are met? I won't spoil the punchline for you, but it really makes the book. This would be an excellent, fun choice for a family with a new baby; tongue firmly planted in cheek, it will make the older kids laugh and laugh and laugh--while making clear the importance of caring for family.

Re-Post: A Small Nativity by Aquiles Nazoa

2010-11-29T14:00:00.002-05:00

The Journey to Bethlehem
(Click on the image for a larger look)

TITLE: A Small Nativity

AUTHOR: Aquiles Nazoa

ILLUSTRATOR: Ana Palmero Caceres

PUBLISHED BY: Groundwood Books

ISBN: 978-0888998392

Nazoa, a winner of the Venezuelan National prize for Journalism, created this little poem about the birth of Christ. Embellishing tradition somewhat, he brought the figures of Mary and Joseph into the culture and context of Venezuela.

His poem captured the imagination of Caceres, another native Venezuelan, who decided to create fitting illustrations. Or should i say "illuminations"? because her illustrations are inspired by medieval manuscripts--and due worthy homage to that great tradition.

Much like the wonderful exotic nativities from around the world, both poem and illustrations reflect the tradition, as well as their own ethnic heritage. The poem and illuminations are perfectly suited to each other--matching line by line in eloquent detail. Take the following example:

The lovely Virgin shivers,
and he stops along the road
to take off his linen coat
and offer it to her.

Come my fairest damsel,
wrap this coat around you."
he says with forced good humor
as he feels the mischievous cold
tugging at the holes
in his striped shirt.

Now! Isn't that lovely? What language! "Mischievous cold" and "fairest damsel." And surely, St. Joseph did not wear a striped shirt--but if he had been a peasant in Venezuela, he would have.

Note, as well, Cacares' illustrations. Above we see Joseph wearing his humble yellow linen coat. But when he takes it off to shroud Mary in it, we find that it is lined in rich blue. There are other wonderful details--the villagers who turn away Mary and Joseph are drawn as different creatures (Jackal, tiger) that are were associated with evil in old illuminations. Likewise, she has a glossary of images in the back of the book.

This book is a real beauty, and--dare I say it?--my favorite illustrated Nativity thus far.

The Virgin is so tired and forlorn
(Click on the image for a larger look.)

Here are some other Nativity books I'd recommend:

Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama

2010-11-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

TITLE: Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters
AUTHOR: Barack Obama
ILLUSTRATOR: Loren Long
PUBLISHED BY: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0375835278
PURCHASE: Amazon

I felt like I had to write a review of President Obama's newly released loving picture book dedicated to his daughters--Of Thee I Sing--which will surely be the hot seller this Christmas. It is a sweet book, meant to stir their hearts and inspire them with the examples of those great Americans who came before them: George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr, Georgia O'Keefe, Albert Einstein, Billie Holiday, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller. These men and women are indeed inspiring, if predictable, choices. (But, ah! I must mention: he includes Cesar Chavez. Alas!) As he introduces each figure, he asks his girls if he's told them that they should always be kind, or they each have a song, or they stand up for the weak, etc. etc. Reviewers everywhere are fawning over these questions, as if they hold some great insight into child rearing or human character. To me, they seem expected, a little over-wraught, and certainly not groundbreaking. the text is largely prosaic and self-important.

What is inspiring and noteworthy about this book? The illustrations. Loren Long has really outdone himself in this one. He has created stirring portraits of these inspiring men and women: truly capturing much of their spirit and strength--all in brilliant colors and sumptuous details. Each facing page shows Malia and Sasha standing, their backs to us, joined by a child version of each of the men and women their father is suggesting should be a role model: young Georgia with a paint brush, and Jackie Robinson with his bat, etc. etc. As the crowd grows bigger, and the book ends, they turn to face us. Visually, it is a much stronger statement than the President's burdensome prose. We do have to answer to all those faces, and live as well as they did.

Have I told you, you are a healer? Sitting Bull

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T09:12:00.001-05:00

I only have time today for this (new book reviews continue tomorrow):

The Beginning of the End

2010-11-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

Did you see it last night at midnight? I wish I had. It's going to be a busy couple weeks, so I don't know when I'll get to it!

Kirkus Reveiw's BEST OF 2010 Lists

2010-11-18T08:36:00.006-05:00

Chicken Spaghetti said it best: The Kirkus Review went crazy this year. They produced not one best of 2010 list, and not two (like one for chapter books and one for picture books), but FIFTEEN best of lists. There are some real gems which I will try to get my hands on to review in the coming weeks:

Best Non-Fiction:

Best Picture Books That Make You Think:

Best Children's Books: Celebrating Friends & Family for Young Readers & Listeners:

And there are many many more: check out the whole list. Do you see any of your favorites from 2010?

Quick Fall Roundup

2010-11-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

I know. I KNOW. In most of the world the leaves are gone and fall is almost over. And everyone is preparing for Christmas. Well, I throw up my hands in protest, because fall isn't over until after Thanksgiving. And besides, the big maple outside my window is the most lovely red color, and still has all its leaves.

So, here's a very quick roundup of some of my favorite fall and Thanksgiving books. With lots of autumnal love.

(There are some real gems in here, but my favorite by far is Hooray for Fall, where a family of squirrels all get new red sweaters, and notice that everything else in the world puts on red: the berries, the leaves, etc. It is quite charming. (And just recently brought back into print.)

New Old Favorites: Three Little Kittens by Jerry Pinkney

2010-11-16T09:06:00.001-05:00

TITLE: Three Little Kittens
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Jerry Pinkney
PUBLISHED BY: Dial, September 2010
ISBN: 978-0803735330
PURCHASE: Amazon

Sometimes the best stories are not new, right? Classic fables and fairy tales can be told again and again with fresh interest to each generation. But it takes real artistry to make that old familiar tale really shine in its re-telling, so that we feel like it is brand new. Jerry Pinkney is becoming a master at this: I saw themes in last year's The Lion and the Mouse which I had never seen in that story before. He deservedly won the Caldecott; that book was the best picture book I'd seen in many many years.

Pinkney has re-imagined another classic tale--the Mother Goose story of the three kittens who lost their mittens. Stylistically, this is vastly different from the restrained splendor of The Lion and the Mouse. The kittens are sumptuously drawn, with bold autumn colors, big eyes, cheerful countenances. (How he gets so much personality in the face of a house cat is utterly beyond me.) The kittens play in the leaves, make a mess of Mother's Apple Pie, and generally get into a lot of cheerful mischief.

School Library Journal says "This is another superb entry in the artist's catalog of classics for a new generation." and I quite agree.

Alas, I don't have any more photos of the book, but let me show you this fun video to get a sneak peek (and a look at Pinkney hard at work):

New Old Favorites: The Red Hen by the Emberleys

2010-11-15T08:52:00.000-05:00

TITLE: The Red Hen
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Rebecca and Ed Emberley
PUBLISHED BY: Roaring Brook Press, October 2010
ISBN: 978-1596434929
PURCHASE: Amazon

I love seeing new interpretations and variations on old favorites. Last year's best book, Jerry Pinkney's The Lion and the Mouse, was a masterful retelling of old Aesop's story. Also wonderful from last year was Ed Emberley and his daughter Rebecca's retelling of Chicken Little.

The Emberley's have teamed up again, to my lasting joy, retelling a similarly crazy old folk tale, The Red Hen. This was always one of my favorite tales--the poor hen goes around asking all the barnyard animals to help her with the different parts of making a cake. They all refuse help, and she has to labor alone. But once the cake is done they all want their share.

The almost frenetic, goofy collages made by Emberley--with energetic colors and silly touches throughout--breathe new life into this old story. His daughter's new prose is a joy. Though this has not been on any of the new "best-of" lists, I can't help but love and recommend it as an essential, timely addition to any library. It has gotten great reviews from all the usual suspects, as well.

One More Acorn by Don Freeman

2010-11-11T09:02:00.001-05:00

TITLE: One More Acorn
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Don Freeman and Roy Freeman
PUBLISHED BY: Viking
ISBN: 978-0670010837
PURCHASE: Amazon

I'm not going to lie. One of the things I love most about this book is that it is set in a lovingly rendered Washington D.C.--the Mall and White House lawn, in fact. Oh, Don Freeman. You are one of the greats. Between Corduroy and (two of my favorites): Fly High, Fly Low, and Manuelo the Playing Mantis, you just wrote and illustrated the most wonderful, playful, real stories, and I love you for it!

This manuscript was discovered and completed by his son, Roy Freeman (for more on them, click here)--so this is not a reprint, but rather an entirely new release. It is about a squirrel (clearly), who lives in a tree on the Mall, and goes scampering about one late fall day to finish storing up for the winter. I can't help but think that there is a lovely, and completely in the background message about the book, given these lean times and the excesses of our federal government, but never mind about that. The book is a treasure--beautifully illustrated, charmingly told, and lovingly offered by a devoted son as a tribute to his father. You can't get better than that!

Shadow by Suzy Lee

2010-11-10T08:42:00.001-05:00

TITLE: Shadow and Mirror
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Suzy Lee
PUBLISHED BY: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 978-0811872805 (Shadow) and 978-1934734391 (Mirror)

Suzy Lee is very dear to the heart of LLB. Her Caldecott medal winner Wave was one of the first books I featured here. It is one of those remarkable picture books that transcends age, and was an instant classic (I don't use those words lightly).

And she's done it again. I haven't found a single book in 2010 that is as delightful and imaginative, insightful and immediate as Ms. Lee's Shadow. Another wordless picture book, our bobbed heroine runs up to an attic, and plays games with the shadows cast by a single lightbulb. Lee only uses 2 colors: yellow and black. The book flip horizontally, so that reality is show on the top of the page and the imaginative world on the bottom. Stunning and vibrant, it portrays the world of imagination in the most eloquent terms.

Shadow

Chronicle Books has also re-released a similar Suzy Lee book, Mirror. In this a little girls sees herself in a mirror, and plays with her reflection. Eventually the reflection takes on a life of its own--and startles the girls. In the end, as with the girl in Shadow, the reflection and reality are united.

Shadow is perhaps my favorite book of 2010. I hope you'll check it out, and tell me what you think!

Mirror

Best of 2010 Lists

2010-11-09T08:21:00.001-05:00

Shadowplay

This weekend many of the most important "Best of Children's Literature" lists were released. These serve as the first public clues of what book will receive the Caldecott, and what books will be easily found on the clutter shelves of your local Barnes & Noble. And the choices aren't bad, though not a single book overlaps on the Publisher's Weekly or New York Times list, which is rather shocking. (There is no clear winner, like last year's The Lion and the Mouse.)

Publisher's Weekly put out an awfully fun list. One could hardly go wrong with any of these picture books, though I especially loved (and will be reviewing at some point) Boss Baby by 2009 Caldecott Winner Marla Freeze, Farm by Elisha Cooper (review), City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems. A dark horse on the list is It's a Book by Lane Smith, which I still love, a LOT, but am beginning to see that it's not really funny for kids.

The New York Times list is surprisingly unpredictable. Their focus is on illustration in this list, and they have a good eye, but they usually pick a few duds, or a few that capture the spirit of the year, but nothing more. This year's list is pretty near flawless: Henry in Love (review), Shadow by Suzy Lee (above), The Big Red Lollipop illustrated by the brilliant Sophie Blacknell.

The Kirkus Review has also released their Best of 2010 Children's Supplement. Download the pdf here.

But if all this is too much for you to process, don't worry: new release book reviews begin tomorrow!
(For a frequently updated round-up of best-of lists visit Chicken Spaghetti.)

Ah! Young love!

The Illustrated Gospel by Jean-Francois Kieffer and Christine Ponsard

2010-11-08T08:43:00.001-05:00

TITLE: The Illustrated Gospel for Children
AUTHOR: Jean-Francois Kieffer
ILLUSTRATOR: Christine Ponsard
PUBLISHED BY: Ignatius Press and Magnificat
ISBN: 978-1586175115
PURCHASE: Amazon

I have to say, of all the new titles from Ignatius Press, this is the one that interested me the least. I have mentioned before that comics are not my forte. But I also am naturally inclined to distrust anything that makes the Christian tale cartoonish--and I didn't see how a comic book of the Gospel could be anything but cartoonish.

Boy was I wrong: this retelling of the life of Christ, along with a number of important parables, is wonderful. I had the great pleasure of reading it with the three beautiful daughters of my friend, author and illustrator and comic artist, Ben Hatke, and we had a great time reading it! And the girls--aged 2, 5 and 8, followed along, engaged and attentive. When I read the miracle of the loaves and fishes, A (age 8) couldn't wait to re-tell it to me. Then Z (age 5) jumped in retelling it (more simply, but still correctly). They were so thrilled, and amazed.

The scenes of Christ preaching and telling parables often have little children in it, and the girls zeroed in on these kids instantly, picking which one was their favorite, and imagining they were there with Jesus. As far as I am concerned, that makes this book a winner.

My only complaint, and it is minor, is that in the Crucifixion we only see Christ's back. This is mostly a stylistic choice, and I am not fond of it, but it is a minor thing. Otherwise, I think this is a great adaptation of the Gospel stories, and one that can be enjoyed by children of all ages, and many different reading levels. It will plant the seeds of this great story (the greatest!) in their hearts and imaginations, to unfold later with vibrant faith!

To see the rest of the Ignatius Press newly released series of picture books, please click here.

Scenes from the early life of Christ.

Giveaway Winners + Shop Announcement

2010-11-05T09:01:00.061-04:00

So, a while back I asked (and no one but Stephanie responded), when you thought I ought to start posting about Christmas books and Christmas presents. Since most of the best books of 2010 have been released by now (they don't really release books in November or December), I am going to spend the rest of November talking about them.

After thanksgiving, I'll do a week of new Christmas books, and then for the rest of December, I'll continue with new releases in the morning and repost Christmas reviews from previous years in the afternoon. It's going to be a lot, but I think I can handle it.

As always, you can find my favorite Christmas books in the LLB Bookshop. All you moms out there, be sure to spread the word to people buying gifts for your little ones! And remember, 10% of any money I earn from Amazon, etc, goes to literacy charities. (And the rest goes straight back into LLB...and by that I mean my library!)

Now that you can be a rational and equipped consumer, lets get to what you're really waiting for: THE GIVEAWAY! Ah! The hardest part about a giveaway is that I want to give books to all of you! Your comments were all so sweet! And every time I got one from someone I knew, I thought to myself, "Oh! that book would be perfect for X; I hope she wins!" But you can't all win.

So, I whipped out my handy random number generator (I keep it in my back pocket at all times. You never know when you might need a number.) And, dear friends, here are the winners:

#1 goes to comment #5: Stephanie! She and her little ones will be getting the new Ignatius Press prayer books, My First Prayers for Family and My First Prayers for Christmas.

#2 goes to comment #4: Patty! Patty is my hero because she is a foster mom and is trying to adopt and besides that she just has so much joie de virve, so I am so glad she's getting Ton by Taro Miura.

#3 goes to comment #8: Megan. (I assume this is MMcN, but I am not sure...) Anyway, congratulations! You get The Noisy Book!

#4 goes to comment #7: Kristen, an expectant mother who I know will love The Keeping Quilt because it is really about motherhood!

If the winners would please email me with their addresses, so I can send these great books off before the Holiday rush! You can reach me at: littlelambbooks[at]gmail[dot]com

Thank you all for participating in this giveaway, and for all your readership, your comments, your encouragement! Here's to year 3!

Blog Giveaway #4: The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

2010-11-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

Saturday marked the 2nd birthday of Little Lamb Books, and we're celebrating all week long!

Today's give away is of one of Patricia Polacco's most beautiful and moving books: The Keeping Quilt.

Leave a comment below to enter. If you commented yesterday, Tuesday or Monday, you are still eligible to comment today. You can only win once but you can enter as many times and for as many books as you like! Winners will be announced on Friday.

Birthday Giveaway #3: The Noisy Book

2010-11-03T08:38:00.001-04:00

Saturday marked the 2nd birthday of Little Lamb Books, and we're celebrating all week long!

Today's give away is of the wonderful Margaret Wise Brown book The Noisy Book (which I cannot believe I have not reviewed yet! Well...It's great.) (This is a library copy).

Leave a comment below to enter. If you commented yesterday or Monday, you are still eligible to comment today. You can only win once but you can enter as many times and for as many books as you like! Winners will be announced on Friday.

Blog Birthday Week, Giveaway #2!

2010-11-02T09:01:00.000-04:00

Saturday marked the 2nd birthday of Little Lamb Books, and we're celebrating all week long!

Today's give away is of the wonderful Taro Miura book Ton (reviewed here).

Leave a comment below to enter. If you commented yesterday, you are still eligible to comment today. You can only win once but you can enter as many times and for as many books as you like!
Winners will be announced on Friday.

Birthday Week on LLB (with Prizes!)

2010-11-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to Little Lamb Books

Saturday marked the 2nd birthday of Little Lamb Books, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all my readers and new blogging friends who have made writing this blog so enjoyable.

SO...I'm doing a give-a-way every day this week!

Today's give away is of the two new Ignatius Press prayer books,

My First Prayers for Christmas, and My First Prayers for Family.

Leave a comment below to enter. Winners will be announced on Friday.

(You can enter every day, but you can only win once!)

Loupio by Jen Francois Kieffer

2010-10-29T09:36:00.001-04:00

TITLE: The Adventures of Loupio, Vol 1: The Encounter and Other Stories
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR:Jean-Francois Kieffer
PUBLISHED BY: Ignatius Press and Magnificat
ISBN: 9781586175269
PURCHASE: Ignatius Press

I've never been that big a fan of comic books. My brother and sister always poured over the Tin-Tin books, but I just glanced at them, liking the bright colors and stylized drawings. They still read comic books (hey, they're graphic novels!) (name that quote)--while I sit out missing an entire genre of literature that is thriving.

It surprised me, then, that my very favorite of the picture books recently released by Ignatius Press, was indeed a comic book. The Adventures of Loupio is a joy through and through, and I was so pleased while reading it. It tells of a little orphan boy who befriends the wolf that St. Francis tamed. (Ah! Here's St. Francis again!) Loupio is like any other boy: lively, adventurous, big hearted but a bit rash. He rushes out of the village to save St. Francis from the wolf; what else could he do? He had to do something! He is awed by knights and the crusades, and vows to bear the cross every day. He has tiffs with bullies. He is afraid of the poor (but soon learns to see and help them by doing what he does best--sing!)

St. Francis doesn't play a major part in the stories--he usually comes in at the end, sometimes to comfort but usually to just affirm the lesson Loupio has learned. Through the eyes of this familiar happy boy, the saint becomes familiar too--every time the saint walks into a scene, Loupio cheerfully greets "Francis!" Such joy will be contagious for all little boys who read these tales.

This is the first of 5 volumes, and I hope that Ignatius Press will release all of them in the coming years (Vol. 2 is available in the French from Amazon). The author/illustrator Jean-Francois Kieffer has won numerous awards for these tales.

St. Bernadette and St. John Vianney by Sophie Maraval-Hutin

2010-10-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

(N.B. Apologies for this late posting: It took me two hours to get to work today! So behind...)

TITLE: Bernadette: The Little Girl From Lourdes
AUTHOR: Sophie Maraval-Hutin (Trans. Janet Chevrier)
ILLUSTRATOR: Adeline Avril
PUBLISHED BY: Ignatius Press and Magnificat
ISBN: 9781586175108
PURCHASE: Ignatius Press

TITLE: John Mary Vianney: The Holy Curé of Ars

AUTHOR: Sophie Maraval-Hutin (Trans. Janet Chevrier)

ILLUSTRATOR: Adeline Avril

PUBLISHED BY: Ignatius Press and Magnificat

ISBN: 9781586175092

PURCHASE: Ignatius Press

As I mentioned yesterday, these new releases from Ignatius Press and Magnificat were originally French books. So it will not surprise you that the first two saints to be featured in picture books are two of the most beloved saints in all of France: Bernadette and John Vianney. And the stories of these two beautiful Saints really capture the imaginations of children everywhere--I remember so clearly discovering both of them and being amazed by their witness.

First: John Mary Vianney: John Vianney was a man of great piety, lived to be seventy-three years old, and was a great witness with his life. And his childhood was right after the Revolution, when he and his family had to practice their faith in secret. But rather than telling his story in a dramatic fashion, this books tends towards the pious trivia: it talks about how he always carried a statue of our Lady, and how he only spent his money on vestments for the Church. All of which is true and beautiful, but I think it would fail to capture the imagination of any but the most pious little boys.

You've all read Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory, right? Do you remember the family in town that gets books about saints subversively, and the mother who reads them to her children. The boy, who is a bit older, is sick of all the sappy piety, which has nothing to do with the life he sees (or his Father lives). He is the skeptic in the house--fascinated by the violence of our whiskey priest's death, not because of the grace of martyrdom.

I kept thinking about that boy as I read this picture book. Clearly, John Vianney was one of the most remarkable men, and rightfully proclaimed as the patron of all parish priests. Thoug there is nothing objectionable in it, unfortunately, nothing in this tale communicates the wondrous glory of his humble life.

The Village of the Ars

Bernadette fares rather better than the man from Ars. The narrative jumps into her vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary right away: "It all began one Thursday in February. It was freezing cold that day, and Bernadette's mother was finding it hard to keep the house warm, even though it had only one room!" Bernadette takes her sisters out to collect firewood, and, while preparing to cross a brook, she "stood open-mouthed in wonder... Just above a wile rosebush, a young girl had appeared, standing in a hole in the rock."

What a difference a story line makes: Bernadette is awed by this beautiful stranger (and terrified too, taking comfort in her rosary), but no one believes her--and when she starts eating mud "for sinners" they think she's even more crazy. It takes time to tell about different miracles at the grotto, and the declaration "I am the Immaculate Conception". It finishes with a brief sketch of the rest of Bernadette's life.

This book is engaging and at parts thrilling. It's lively style tells the story of her remarkable faith, and courageous actions.

Scenes from the life of Bernadette

And, as you can tell, the illustrations are lovely!

The Bible for Little Ones, by Maite Roche

2010-10-27T08:59:00.003-04:00

TITLE: The Bible for Little Ones
AUTHOR + ILLUSTRATOR: Maite Roche
PUBLISHED BY: Ignatius Press and Magnificat
ISBN: 9781586175085
PURCHASE: Ignatius Press, Magnificat

Ah! I am so excited today to be finally sharing with you the first of many new religious picture books published by Ignatius Press in conjunction with Magnificat. I've known about this project for some time, and the books have just been released, in time for your early holiday shopping. They were originally published by Magnificat in France, and Ignatius jumped at the chance to bring them to the US. I, for one, am grateful, since there are so few really quality religious picture books.

The first book I opened of these 8 titles was the chubby, cheerfully illustrated board book The Bible for Little Ones. And I was hooked by the second spread, which shows (below) the fall of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve stare at the serpent, and cling to the apple. Their posture is striking: upright, hands raised, eyes wide with wonder and temptation. But what struck me the most were the animals: helpless, they look on the scene, crowding around, and gazing with wide eyes, their mouths open in shock. The Monkey reaches out to stop them. But they cannot speak, they can only watch.

I've often remarked on the prevalence of animals in children's books. In religious books, even, we see more books about Noah's Ark or the animals in the stable or Saint Francis and the animals than we do about anything else. In this one image, Roche captures the child's natural interest in animals, and through that reveals a penetrating truth about our fall: that it affected the whole world.

The rest of the book is concerned with the familiar highlights of the Old and New Testament: Noah's Ark, three panels on Moses, the story of David and Goliath, and a scene from Isaiah, the birth of Christ, His childhood, His preaching, the Last Supper, carrying the Cross and His death (the crucifix shown from behind), Magdalene meeting Him, risen, in the Garden, and then Pentecost.

The text is simple but not pedantic--it tells clearly and easily what is happening, and plants the seeds for further understanding a revelation as the child gets older. My only complaint with the book is that the text is in present tense, which I assume was true of the French, and is not a result of translation. It sounds unnatural to me, and if I were reading it aloud, I would probably change it all to the past tense (except, of course, for the phrase "Christ is risen"--because of course He IS, and that's awesome.

---

They have also released two prayer books by Maite Roche: My First Prayers for my Family and My First Prayers for Christmas. I feel ill-equipped to judge them, as I don't have a child to pray them with, but I see nothing wrong with them, either. (UPDATE: My friend JH says: "The prayer books have been a hit with our toddlers. The prayers are simple and you can pick one each night to do with the kids (age 2 and 4). Of course, they can't read yet, but the language is simple enough that they get the gist of what the prayer means.")

Halloween Roundup

2010-10-26T11:42:00.000-04:00

Ah! We're not doing a full "Spook Week" on LLB this year, but I wanted to quickly show you my Halloween favorites. Tomorrow through Friday I am going to be sharing with you some REALLY AWESOME new religious picture books from Ignatius Press!

This is Not a Pumpkin, by Bob Staake

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, by Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd

Six Creepy Sheep, by Judith Ross Enderle, Stephanie Gordon Tessler, and John O'Brien

Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara

I Spy Spook Night by Jean Marzollo and Waler Wick

That's MY Library!

2010-10-22T08:38:00.000-04:00

Jumping on the Library Video Bandwagon, I present to you, my dear Arlington County Public Library:

(Next week: new kids book releases from Ignatius Press. It will be SO FUN. Come back!)

The Odious Ogre by Norton Juster

2010-10-21T09:06:00.001-04:00

The Odious Ogre by Norton Juster, Illustrated by Jules Feiffer from Expanded Books on Vimeo.

The Odious Ogre, by Norton Juster (of The Phantom Tollbooth and The Dot and the Line fame) and illustrated by Jules Feiffer (also did Tollbooth) came out in September, and is already a bestseller. I haven't seen it yet, but I can't wait to get my hands on it. (And, I think I know what I'm getting mi madre for Christmas...)

H. L. Menken on Reading

2010-10-20T09:02:00.000-04:00

As a follow-up to yesterday's and Monday's posts, I wanted to share with you this quote from H.L. Menken's childhood auto-biography, Happy Days. I've been reading it for my book club (as you might have noted, since I am quoting it on 10KP), and my favorite chapter so far has been "Larval Stage of a Bookworm," where he describes his discovery of books. His first adventure in reading was of a serial, "The Moose Hunters" in a British periodical, Chatterbox:

"The Moose Hunters," which ran to the length of a full-length juvenile, was not printed in one gob, but spread through Chatterbox in installments. This was an excellent device, for literary fans in the youngest brackets do their reading slowly and painfully, and like to come up frequently for air. But writing down to them is something else again, and that error the anonymous author of "The Moose Hunters" avoided diligently. Instead he wrote in the best journalese of the era, and treated his sixteen-year-old heroes precisely as if they were grown men. So I liked his story very much, and stuck to it until, in a series of perhaps twenty sessions, I had got it down.

...The neighborhood apprentices to gang life went howling up and down the sidewalk, trying to lure me into their games of follow-your-leader and run-sheep-run, but I was not to be lured, for I had discovered a new realm of being and a new and powerful enchantment. What was follow-your-leader to fighting savage Canucks on the Little Magalloway river, and what was chasing the imaginary sheep to shooting real meese? I was near the end of the story, with the Canucks all beaten off and two carcasses of gigantic meese hanging to trees, before the author made it clear to me that the word moose had no plural, but remained unchanged ad infinitum.

Such discoveries give a boy a considerable thrill, and augment his sense of dignity.

Soon he was reading everything insight. Which wasn't much of quality, I can tell you--History of Freemasonry in Maryland and One Thousand Proofs that the Earth is not a Globe. And then he discovered Huckleberry Finn. And that clinched it.

The Death of Picture Books (Part 2)

2010-10-19T09:17:00.001-04:00

So...yesterday we saw what everyone else had to say about the New York Times's proclamation that picture books are dead. What do I have to say? Well...

First, I'd like to put the article in context--or rather take out the hyperbolic headline and see what they are really trying to say. I don't know what inspired Ms. Bosman to write the piece in the first place, but she is obviously trying to figure out the reasons why picture book sales are languishing. She lights upon a reason that also happens to be a bit of a soap-box: parents and/or schools are forcing their children to read chapter books at an earlier age.

I could not possibly say whether this is true, though it doesn't surprise me. When popular culture notes the pressures (in suburbia, not just the Upper West Side) of getting their kids into the right pre-school, kindergarten, etc, then we obviously have mistaken priorities when it comes to our children's education. On the other hand: I remember vividly the first time I finished a big long chapter book. It was Anna Sewell's Black Beauty, and it was the summer before second grade. It was not the first chapter book I read, and it was perhaps a little advanced for me at the time, but I had to read it for school, and when I was done, I was glad I had read it, and so proud of having finished it. But I remember Mom asking me every night for a week how much I had read. When, after a week of reading a couple pages a day, I finally got into it, I devoured it within a few days.

But I highly doubt this is the main reason for languishing picture book sales. It seems more anecdotal than anything else. Indeed, I am positive that there are more parents NOT encouraging reading of any kind than encouraging reading of a more advanced level. When I spend time in the bookstore, I find parents pleading with their children to pick out any book, rather than a toy or stuffed animal. More often than not the books their child finally chooses are disney coloring books or some other nonsense.

What other factors are at play here? Well, first, picture books are expensive--$18 for a brand new release. I probably buy 5 or 6 new picture books every year, and no more. I find myself--a picture book reviewer--relying more and more on the library. And there's the second reason: the library. As the economy took a downturn, there was a surge of interest across the country in libraries. As there should be--at a library you have thousands of enchanting books to choose from, and tomorrow you can come back and pick fifteen more! Plus, librarians are trained to make recommendations based on a child's interest and comprehension rather than based on the expectations of a curriculum.

Furthermore, children don't often loose their love of picture books once they advance into chapter books. I kept a shelf of my favorite picture books well into my teens--and I re-read them often. Nor is it bad for children to read chapter books once they are ready to do so. While picture books are lesser in some ways, they are also prior. And though it is hard to go back to only reading picture books once you (a child of 4) have discovered the wealth of chapter books, that is not a comment on the quality of the picture books, but the necessary result of a new hunger in the mind. (Contrary-wise, my sister didn't read a chapter book till she was ten or eleven, because she was a reluctant reader, who spent her time "reading" pictures instead--and creating stories of her own. And now she's in a Great Books program. Clearly, the girl can read.)

Finally, I'd like to point out that the notion of reading level is rather arbitrary. I find myself again and again putting books is a lower age group than recommended by the publisher. And once you take into account the act of reading aloud as a family (does anyone do this anymore?), everything gets screwy. Dad used to read us D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths when we were kids. I probably could not have read those books till age 8 (the publisher recommends age 9-12), but I knew and understood the stories as they were read to me. And because they were read to me, I could have read them myself at a much earlier age.

Content wise, I am convinced that we are in a golden age of picture books. Not since the mid-seventies when Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, Leo Lionni, William Steig, Maurice Sendak, and other illustrator giants were at their peak have we seen such an abundance of brilliant, beautiful, engaging, vibrant, imaginative and educative picture books. (Don't get me wrong--there is a lot of crap out there too, and this year has not been as stellar as last.) And many of those giants are still producing books, though quite advanced in years.

In conclusion: all this is anecdotal. It seems like the larger problem of our culture right now is a lack of attention on reading at all. When we are bemoaning children of 4 picking up Stuart Little, and first graders clamoring for chapter books...it seems to me, we've got our priorities backwards. Lets encourage reading over all, and find a way to engage the individual's imagination in a way that best suits them and their talents.

UPDATE: Spoon noted in a comment, "Don't blame libraries," and I realized I need to clarify my comment about libraries. I don't blame libraries at all--the opposite in fact. I think a lot of kids will go to libraries, and devour the books. When the parent sees that there is one book a child really loves, they'll shell out the $16-$18 for it. And since they have always been around, I think their effect on sales is minimal if not positive (but I bet its positive). But when an author claims that "Picture Books are Dead" said author really ought to be looking at the whole picture--including whether or not picture books are popular for libraries. And I've never seen a library without at least a dozen kids pouring over picture books.

*In an unrelated note, I just noticed that my links don't show up very well on the blog--color wise. Is this your experience? Or is something screwy with my macbook? Either way, I'm going to make them RED later today so that you don't miss any hidden goodies.