Believe it or not, there are Kindergarten classrooms that have book publishing parties. I know, I know, I found it hard to believe when my kid’s schooBelieve it or not, there are Kindergarten classrooms that have book publishing parties. I know, I know, I found it hard to believe when my kid’s school told me that’s what they would be doing three times during the year per student. And then I thought, why didn’t I get to do this? We want our children to become knowledgeable writers, thinkers and readers. Why not start at the very beginning? Why not start when they are learning to write? Messner’s book, How to Write a Story, doesn’t teach you how to throw a publishing party; it does, however, give you the building blocks for helping your child, from the youngest age possible, craft a story they’d be proud to write.
The book is a step by step guide designed to hold your child’s hand through the writing process; from searching for an idea to sharing the final project. The accompanying illustrations are not only whimsical and fun, they extend to the fantastical, providing inspiration for stories that will appeal to younger readers.
Written for ages 5-8, this is a great book for classroom instruction and for home use. It encourages young minds to use their creativity and develop budding writing and reading skills....more
Buy. This. Book. Okay, now I get to back-in to the review.
I’m going to go ahead and say it. This is a parable masquerading as a children’s book. And, for those that may be slow to catch on, I’m going to tell you the moral up front: don’t look at the external, look at the internal.
The plot is a straight-forward one. A pencil, symbolic in that pencils are generally used to describe everything presented to the eyes, the heart and the mind, tells us the story of a crayon called Red. He is called Red, because he’s wrapped in a red wrapper. But, to anyone who can see beyond the wrappings, he’s a blue crayon with a red label.
Try as he may at being red, he fails time and time again. Ridiculed, criticized, and even “helped;” he just couldn’t be red, try as he may. Whatever he did, came out blue.
Other colors, invariably gave there opinions. Even the art supplies wanted to “help.”
"All the art supplies wanted to help. The masking tape thought he was broken inside. The scissors thought his label was too tight. I [the Pencil] thought he wasn’t sharp enough."
And he tried. He really tried. But he was still blue.
One day, he met a crayon named Berry who asked him to draw a blue ocean for a boat. Unsure at first, he did. It was, of course, a great success. Finally acknowledged as Blue, the talk around him shifted. And, he literally reached for the sky.
Red (A Crayon’s Story) sensitively portrays the life of anyone who has ever felt unrecognized as who they truly are.
It is easy to dismiss this book as merely being a ploy of those advancing a transgender agenda (whatever that is) when the truth is, the book is much more. The book is about identity, yes; but, identity is universal. For looking at the internal, rather than the external, is a fundamental moral principle, found even in the New Testament:
…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart….
1 Samuel 16:7
Yes, I am usually loathe to point to religion when a humanistic justification will suffice; but the fact remains that religion does buttress the axiom: don’t judge a book by it’s cover. In this case, you’d be doing harm to the book and to society.
Posit for a moment how empty Blue’s world would be if his true blue (pun not intended) identity were not shared with his world–a world without oceans and skies; the gifts he carries within forever lost. And, now reflect on how Blue’s society’s first instinct was to change him, rather than accept him for who he is. I’ll wait. That’s a lot to unpack.
This book is about being different; about how our differences give us gifts that we can use to make the world a better place; and about how the world is better off by recognizing us for who we are, not how we look.
I remember seeing the man in the morning, standing by the mailbox, as I left for school. He was wearing a coat and tie. “Someone will see if he needs anything,” I thought. We lived on the premises of the family business. People around in the morning was not an unusual occurrence. Seven hours later, when I returned, he was still there. Same man. Same coat. Same tie. I didn’t think much of it. “The man left and came back,” I thought. I was wrong.
When I entered my house, mom was sitting on the couch crying. She was clutching my Grandparents’ wedding picture. She had just been told my Grandmother had passed. I looked at the picture and gasped. I saw my Grandfather. Same Coat. Same tie. The man outside, was my Grandfather. He had died 10 years earlier.
These memories came flooding back as I read "Bon Voyage Mister Rodriguez," by Christiane Duchesne, a gentle tale that employs magical realism to elicit conversations about death and transitions.
Every day at 4:00 p.m., Mr. Rodriguez strolled through the cobblestoned streets of his quiet, coastal town while the children watched him, enraptured. One day, they knew the walk would be different, even though they didn’t know why. On that day:
"A dove fluttered down and settled on the tip of his shoe. Very gently, Mister Rodriguez attached a fine silk thread around her foot . . . and off they went!"
Mr. Rodriguez and the dove floated above the cobblestone. From that day forward, Mr. Rodriguez walked with other animals, each in turn, floating over the cobblestone. On Sunday, the last day the children saw him, they found a way to say their goodbyes.
Deep Breath. Let’s start with what this book is not. This book is not Death for Dummies. This book makes you work. And think. So, if you’re not interested in having a discussion with your child about transitions and death, this book may not be for your family. If you’re looking for a book that is filled with symbolism, beautiful (and naturalistic) illustrations that are sweeping in scope, and a gentle approach to “what it all means,” then you should pick up a copy.
Duchesne masterfully weaves a simple tale that elicits questions and provides few answers thereby creating necessary discussion. Death, after all, is a subject that is worthy of discussion and necessary to understand. We fear what we don’t understand. And, as humans, we don’t understand a lot. By providing a strong through-line, supplemented by strong visual cues in the crisp illustrations, Bon Voyage Mister Rodriguez lets you embark on a journey of understanding–that you get to take with you into your very own set of traditions.
As I’ve told parents and caretakers for years, reading with your child (not to your child) requires more than just passively reading a story. It requires reading and discussing the elements–analysing the prose. (See here.) Filled with imagery and symbolism, the story is accessible on many different levels: be it a magician wandering through town, a spirit helping animals with their passing, a man on his own journey through death, or some other journey. Where you take the discussion is up to you and the child you engage with.
Strolling over cobblestone is hard, especially if you’re not accustomed to it. This book should help you float over the trickier spots; just like Mr. Rodriguez....more
When I asked for a review copy of this book a few weeks ago, I did not know that on the day I received it, the United States would literally be in flames; or that protesters would be confronting authorities over the treatment of black people at the hands of police officers. I did not know that federal officials would be deploying active duty troops to Washington, D.C. (almost a literal stone throw from my house) to provide “security.” I did not know that the President would be tweeting from the bunker of the White House. There is a lot of stuff I did not know. There is a lot of stuff I still do not know. And, it worries me. What I do know, is that we have a problem. Race, still sharply divides this Country.
But, why am I writing about civil rights when I usually reserve this space to review children’s books? Well, it’s not really a complicated answer. Oscar Hammerstein II eloquently answered it for all of us in the score of South Pacific back in 1949: you’ve got to be carefully taught. Funny thing about that song. People always remember the hook, but they forget the verse:
You’ve got to be taught To be Afraid Of people Whose eyes are oddly made And people whose skin is a different shade You’ve got to Be carefully Taught You’ve got to be taught Before it’s too late Before you are six Or seven Or eight To hate all the people Your relatives hate You’ve got to Be carefully taught
OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
To hate all the people your relatives hate . . . . Bold, right? Hammerstein II wasn’t messing around. He was outright telling us that children were being taught to hate, in that case Asians; and, that that hate was forged into their very beings, as part of a national programming. That was over 70 years ago. Have things changed?
What have we been taught? What exactly have we been taught? What have we been teaching our six, seven and eight-year-olds? Or more importantly, what have we learned, that in over 140 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, 52 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered and 28 years after Rodney King was brutalized by the police, we still see George Floyd on the ground pleading for his life? It looks like not much. On a broad scale, society still acts like black people are less than. Society has been carefully taught.
Well, it’s time to start teaching other things. It’s time to change the narrative on People of Color.
I am Brown, written by Ashok Banker in his picture book debut, is not a political book. Rather, it is a testament to everything diversity is; which is everything. Through simple recitation, it illuminates who a Brown child is, can be, and will be. It tells you that Brown people are everywhere and can do everything, With its gorgeous, rich, vibrant illustrations it is a simple, joyous celebration of being. And, although it is not a political book, it does make a political statement, albeit one that should not be political at all.
In humble, elegant writing, Banker extolls the universality of Brown. Although I normally do not like “list” books, this one is different. Banker, aided by Prabhat’s beautiful imagery (and the precision with which she captures multiple cultures and ethnicities) needs to make lists to capture the totality of everything required to fit in this book. And, it’s the ability to capture the totality of experience (or at least a great portion of it) that makes the book work. Because brown can be everything and anything, or as Banker writes, “I am amazing. I am you.” the book needs the breadth of the lists it contains. Banker knows that within each child is the potentiality for anything. With the book, he tries to make certain that that potentiality is fulfilled.
I am Brown is sadly revolutionary. Revolutionary because it speaks truth to power in a gentle, understated, innocent way. Sadly, because it has to fight the same revolution that’s been fought for many, many years. And, if it is revolutionary to teach six and seven year olds that they are capable of everything their lighter-skinned counterparts are, sign me up for the revolution.
Lastly, let us not forget that this is a children’s book–although some adults would benefit greatly from reading it. There are those that will want to limit its influence; because, well, that’s what people do. By no means, however, should it be limited to children of one or another race. It is a universal book; that children, unencumbered by the prejudices of adults, will understand. Children, after all, have to be carefully taught.
My thanks to Lantana Publishing for providing a Copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own....more
"From One to Ten," commands the same big, bold, and bright style of illustrations as "This is My Daddy!" The emphasis here, however and no surprise, is on counting.
When I reviewed the book with my child, I found that he was particularly drawn to precisely what Van Hout "wanted" him to count. It’s like she has a sense of precisely what to highlight in the picture, steering the child towards counting what is representative of the number in the double page spread. This is no small feat, as anyone with a child will tell you, from the moment they start to breathe, they have a mind of their own.
Yet, when Van Hout wanted my child to count wings, he counted wings; when she wanted him to count arms, he counted arms. There is a lot to be said for good art. And, he wants to go back to the book again and again.
My thanks to Pajama Press for providing a review copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own.One final note, This book is “sturdy,” a very necessary quality in a board book: the papers are thick and the book's covers are padded making them easy to grab/manipulate. Sturdy books are a good thing; as both it will be reached for again and again....more
Seen a butterfly with a mustache? Know what a baby porcupine looks like? Mies Van Hout leads you on a dynamic visual journey in her latest contribution to the world of Board Books: "This is My Daddy!"
Board Books can be well, dull. Not for the kids. Children love them, if they are done correctly. But, for adults, the lessons contained in a Board Book are among the most basic of lessons and, as a child often likes to repeat them over and over, they can start to grow tiresome on the reader. "This is My Daddy!," however, provides entertainment both for the child and the adult.
In a series of vignettes, Van Hout lays out a simple question: Who is my Daddy? The reader is presented with a baby/toddler and four options of who the corresponding father figure is.
On the next page, the reveal: the Daddy! Van Hout layers clues into her carefully crafted illustrations so that even if you are unfamiliar with the particular species, you can make an educated guess.
In trademark Van Hout style, the visuals are big, bold and bright. The artwork on the “reveal” pages encompasses an entire two-page spread dominating the visual field and highlighting the father/child relationship. This, is particularly important as there are so few Children’s Books on the market that reinforce the father/child bond. This, is a welcomed addition.
One final note, This book is “sturdy,” a very necessary quality in a board book: the papers are thick and the book's covers are padded making them easy to grab/manipulate. Sturdy books are a good thing; as both it will be reached for again and again.
My thanks to Pajama Press for providing a review copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own....more
Winner of the English Pen Award (New & Exciting Literature into English) and part of Tiny Owl Publishing’s Hope in a Scary World series, Felix After the Rain, takes on a tough subject, dealing with the death of a loved one, and distills it to its most basic essence: dealing with the baggage left behind. This achingly beautiful book vividly illustrates how a child doesn’t cope, then does, then succeeds.
Felix’s despair is literally trapped in a suitcase he carries with him, barely managing to push it along. After a chance meeting with a boy at the top of a hill (The spirit of his grandmother? His other self while he slept? Something else?), Felix’s despair is released, the storm is weathered and the journey down the hill is easier. Felix is once again happy.
The imagery in this book, both literal (Jogan’s illustrations are masterful, they ache with both pain and joy) and figurative (Hellewell’s prose is sparse yet speaks volumes) lends this book to a discussion on multiple levels. Yes, this is a book that you can easily sit and read with a child that has suffered a loss, of any type. But it’s more than that, it’s a book that teaches loss is inevitable; loss is something that must and can be overcome.
Jogan & Hellewell employ the hill metaphor subtly. There is no great peak to climb; only a modest hill. Indeed, while your eyes are trained on the baggage, you may even lose sight of the hill you are climbing.
The recommended ages for the book are set at five to seven-years old. And, for that age, it works, given the usual caveat that depending on the child more or less assistance is required. I would feel comfortable, however, giving this book to an adult friend who is grieving as well. It allows one to grieve, yes. It also allows one to hope, love and move forward.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an Advance Copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own....more
A Board Book that illustrates beautiful, diverse families.
Quick Rating: Buy, Use, Donate, Gift?
Illustrations The illustrator very definitely has a stylA Board Book that illustrates beautiful, diverse families.
Quick Rating: Buy, Use, Donate, Gift?
Illustrations The illustrator very definitely has a style. Either that, or a style was very definitely picked for this book. Unfortunately, this leads to the people in the book all looking like they belong to the same family–at least when you look at them for a few minutes. In a book that is supposed to highlight diversity, this is a problem. Fortunately, the target age range should not notice the similarities. Especially if they are guided by a caretaker.
It’s On My Bookshelf Aimed primarily at the youngest “readers,” the book provides a good introduction to the different types of families that have existed for centuries in our world. In a simple expository format, basically show and tell, the book takes the child on a tour of various familial groupings. It provides a good starting point for discussion and a great reference tool for “look, this is us.” For those reasons, it’s a great book to buy, use and later donate or gift.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an Advance Copy of this book prior to its publication. The views expressed herein are my own....more
Following the familiar formula of Tiny Travelers Mexico: Treasure Quest, indeed of all the Tiny Travelers titles, the Puerto Rico volume takes us on a highlights tour of the caribbean jewel. Unfortunately, it suffers from some of the same failings as the Mexico title.
First, the good. The illustrations in the Puerto Rico volume are markedly better. Note, the illustrators are the same and they employ the same type of renderings. What makes them better is that the pages are substantially less crowded and have a more unified focus. If a committee was employed to illustrate this book, the committee had a leader and that leader made decisions.
Now, the not so good. The book tries to tackle too much. Think of it as a travel guide that mentions something and goes into virtually no development. Yes, I know this is a children’s book and that this book is meant only as exposure. And, if that is the only thing you’re looking for, a very brief exposure, then you should buy it. The problem is, that it fails to bridge the Goldilocks principle and lands somewhere short. Will it provide a distraction? Yes. Can you re-gift it afterwards or donate it? Yes. And that’s why it gets a Buy, With Reservations.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing a review copy of these books. The views expressed herein are my own....more
Spanish words are peppered throughout a whirlwind tour of Mexico in this “birds-eye,” brief, introduction to Mexican people and culture. Notable landmarks (including El Angel, Teotihuacan, and Yaxchilan) make hurried appearances. In addition, cultural references to wrestling, the Day of the Dead and Mexican food are also included.
I like the idea of this book. The problem, however, rests in the book’s execution. The illustrations lack a unifying core and appear to be done by committee. Notably, while the colors are vivid, the illustrations are cluttered and “read” more like a “find me,” picture puzzle than an introduction to a country and culture. Yes, part of the book’s appeal is the “find me” aspect. In fact, prompts in the book ask you to find things in the picture. For example, one prompt asks you “can you find the jaguar?” [It’s highlighted in a glow, so you can’t miss it.] However, the art sacrifices the learning aspect of the book to make the search work.
Aimed primarily at three to six-year-olds it may hold their attention. The question is, will they learn anything? I’m not sure. The cultural references are fleeting as are the geographic and traditional points of interests. It’s too much and too little at the same time. Simply put, there is no room on my bookshelf.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing a review copy of these books. The views expressed herein are my own....more
Lovely board book focused on teaching instruments and sounds in Spanish. Simple, vivid illustrations accompany each instrument. Easy to use and easy for younger hands to hold! Use it and pass it on!...more
Lovely board book focused on teaching the basic colors in Spanish. Simple, vivid illustrations accompany each color. Easy to use and easy for younger hands to hold! Use it and pass it on!...more
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