LITTLE PUPPY AND THE BIG GREEN MONSTER

Posted on December 3, 2015 by annamarras

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

LITTLE PUPPY AND THE BIG GREEN MONSTER
Text & Illustrations © 2014, Mike Wohnoutka

Picture
Book

Fiction

Age Range:
2-5 years

Grade Level:
Preschool-Kindergarten

Holiday House

Minnesota Book Award Finalist, 2015

A Scholastic Book Club Selection

Who wants to play?
Little Puppy and the Big Green Monster

This picture book scored a triple hit with me through text, illustrations, and a behind-the-scenes meeting with the author-illustrator. And it’s hard to say which tickled me the most!

Speed bump warning: This isn’t a book to read quickly. Take your time and enjoy the journey as Little Puppy searches for a playmate. Each page only employs a few perfectly chosen words to set the pace, establish mood, and visually break up the page. Read it aloud, letting your voice play with the changing fonts.

Next, savor the illustrations. Note how the monster’s appearance bursts the prior restraint of the color palette. Appreciate the variety of size and angle perspectives. Most of all, giggle with the spot-on facial expressions that carry the true joy of the story. And don’t overlook the mini-story in those fantastic end papers!

Now for the part you won’t see: I had the pleasure of chatting with Mike Wohnoutka at the 2015 Minnesota Book Awards. He was every bit as animated as Monster (in a good way), and just as friendly and enthusiastic as Little Puppy. And talk about optimism! His writing advice? Don’t give up. Just like Little Puppy, don’t ever give up. Whether you’re four or forty-four, that’s advice we can all use.

~Lou

Found you!
Little Puppy and the Big Green Monster

When I first read this story, I envisioned Mike Wohnoutka in boxing gloves doing a slow motion victory dance to the Rocky theme. Wohnoutka already had a winner by writing a picture book about the unconditional love and playfulness of a puppy, but when he created a big green monster to receive these gifts, he scaled the top of the writing staircase.

For those of us who can’t illustrate, we’re a little jealous that he can write such sparse text and his illustrator gets it. (I know. It helps that his illustrator is him.) Watch for some of the artistic details that make his pages especially endearing: the personalized mailbox, the picket fence, Little Puppy’s tail language, a rubber ducky, and more rubber duckies . . .

As a puppy owner/mom/wife/relative/friend, I’ve been too busy, too lazy, too mean, too boring, and often a big green monster of sorts, but my furry friends’ charming dispositions rarely changed. Little Puppy and the Big Green Monster reminds me how much I miss my pets and how I’d be a better human if I was more like Little Puppy.

And forty-four, Lou? I hope you were talking in dog years.

~Anna

We want to hear from you!
What children’s books would you recommend?

THE BEST PET OF ALL

Posted on July 15, 2015 by annamarras

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: Reptilian Tales

THE BEST PET OF ALL
Text © 2004, David LaRochelle
Illustrations © 2004, Hanako Wakiyama

Picture
Book

Fiction

Age Range:
3-6 years

Grade Level:
Preschool-
2nd Grade

Dutton
Children’s
Books,
a division of Penguin Young Reader’s Group

Booklist,
Starred Review, American
Library Association

Publisher’s Weekly,
Starred Review

“Finally my mother got angry. She stomped her foot. She told the dragon to leave this minute OR ELSE. The dragon just shook his head. He went back to eating spaghetti in the bathtub.”

How to convince a reluctant mother to adopt a dog? First get an ill-behaved dragon, of course! In The Best Pet of All, Minnesota author David LaRochelle spins a new twist on a child asking for a pet. Cool retro illustrations by Hanako Wakiyama perfectly match this classic theme.

So what author’s technique makes this book shine? In my opinion, it’s LaRochelle masterful use of patterns to pace the story events. Everything begins with a child asking for a dog on Monday, and his daily requests continue. By Thursday, however, LaRochelle throws in a twist: a dragon. To avoid predictability, he then drops the days of the week pattern and switches to using repetition instead: Four attempts to find a dragon, three attempts to lure the dragon home, five dragon misbehaviors, and three attempts to dislodge the dragon from the home.

Young readers won’t close the book with a satisfied sigh and say, “Boy, that guy really knows how to move a story along with clever use of patterning.” But they’ll likely say, “Read it again!” After all, just like in show biz, it’s the skillful work behind the curtains that gets us clapping for an encore.

~ Lou
___________________________________________________________________

Dragons are not easy to find. At last I found a dragon. This dragon was at the drugstore. He was wearing dark glasses and a hat. ~ The Best Pet of All

David LaRochelle applies the lesser-of-two evils-principle to a picture book, making this the ultimate how-to guide for kids perfecting the art of persuasion regarding pet (specifically dog) ownership.

It seems unusual for someone with David LaRochelle’s artistic talent to step aside and let someone else illustrate his baby, but David LaRochelle has more humility than most and this gives way to literary success. It’s his humility and humor that has reaped him the Sid Fleischman Humor Award, SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Award, Minnesota Book Award, and his amazing books–over 25 of them, so far.

Hanako Wakiyama’s flawless 50’s -60’s flavor makes me feel warm and fuzzy–and little again. Everyone wants that hip mom. And Wakiyama’s retro style reminds me of my vintage Whitman Tiny-Tot Tale Fun At The Beach by Gloria Trachtenberg, illustrated by Dagmar Wilson (that I borrowed from my cousin in the 1960’s and never returned).

Tiny-Tot Tales’ FUN AT THE BEACH

Wakiyama’s dragon reminds me of children’s author Bruce Hale, but it could just be the hat.

The Best Pet Of All is worthy to be read everywhere, even on the White House lawn.

Oh, wait! See below!

~ Anna

Watch for another pick from Lou next week!

We want to hear from you!
What’s you favorite reptilian tale?

August’s KidLit Gem Theme – Survivor Stories

DANGEROUS!

Posted on July 8, 2015 by annamarras

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

About favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

July’s theme: Reptilian Tales

DANGEROUS!
Text © 2014, Tim Warnes

Picture
Book

Fiction

Age
Range:
3-7
Years

Grade
Level:
Preschool-
Second

Tiger
Tales

Mole loved labelling things. All sorts of things. Anything really. Naming things was what Mole liked best. ~ DANGEROUS!

Most of us like to label, but few of us like to be labeled. Mole writes nouns on stickers to identify the things he knows: like frog, poop, and feathers. But when he ventures through the woods and comes across a scaly, scratchy mystery he has to resort to adjectives. And when the enormous, lumpy-bumpy, spiky thing almost rolls over on him and gobbles up all the identifiers, Mole makes an assumption. This thing is DANGEROUS!

The thing doesn’t understand and ultimately proves there’s more on the inside of him than what Mole has discovered on the outside, so Mole must make more stickers. And the new adjectives are positive, leading to one conclusion–which you’ll have to read for yourself.

Tim Warnes, the author of nine books, has illustrations featured in over 65 books in 18 different languages and he created the Chalk and Cheese comic strip. Most of his work includes funny anthropomorphic animal protagonists, making Dangerous! identifiable and easy to label as one of many Warnes’ treasures.

If I were to write stickers for this UK import, they would say: delightful, funny, charming, creative, imaginative, pleasant, endearing, heartwarming, empathetic, sweet, friendly, clever, thought-provoking, quirky, superb, suspenseful, page-turner, genius, treasured, wish-I’d-have-thought-of-it, a favorite.

~ Anna

Watch for Lou’s pick next!

We want to hear from you!
What reptilian tale would you recommend?

IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T!

Posted on July 1, 2015 by annamarras

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

July’s theme: Reptilian Tales

IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T!
Text & Illustrations © 2015, Elise Parsley
See our favoritism disclaimer toward the bottom.

Picture
Book

Fiction

Age
Range:
3-6
years

Grade
Level:
Preschool-
First

Little,
Brown
Books for
Young
Readers
(July 7,
2015)

If you bring an alligator anyway, she’ll tell you that alligators are trouble! ~ IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T!

If you ever want to cry, DON’T read this book! It’s hilarious.

Parsley’s acutely aware of the funny bone and has created a main character, Magnolia, that can manage all of her illustrative wit. The delightfully adventurous Magnolia all but grabs your hand as she ventures into unknown waters by bringing an alligator to school for show and tell. You will wish you were in Magnolia’s classroom, so you too, could join in on the fun. Parsley’s attention to detail shines in every pixel of her artwork as she pokes fun at the school day rituals. You will find yourself poring over every illustrated page of this frank narrative time and again, unless of course, you get gobbled up!

Yeah, if you ever want to cry yourself to sleep, DON’T turn the pages of this book.

~ Kristi
____________________________________________________________________

By now, of course, you’ll wish you’d brought a hollow stick or a bird’s nest or some sparkly rocks for show-and-tell instead of an alligator. By now, you’d rather have some dirt than an alligator. IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AN ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T!

Magnolia and her alligator never get old. That’s because their creator, Elise Parsley, made them so darn funny. As you turn the pages, follow the paper airplane; admire the colors, textures, and shadowing; read the names on the lockers and the facts on the blackboard; notice the classroom diversity, giggle at the alligator’s shenanigans; and count Magnolia’s teeth. You might accidentally learn something. I sure did.

Like the paint on page thirteen, Parsley mixes humor, mischief, and a dangerous supporting character with the universal school theme and stirs it to a satisfying circular end. Haven’t we all experienced the anxiety of show-and-tell? Haven’t we all feared that teacher?

Everything you see is a part of Parsley’s charming life and imagination. She even designed the complementary font. That’s why we think she’s the bomb. And that’s why we know you’ll love this book.

Anyone who disagrees deserves three checks by their name and an underline.

Really, this was everyone’s Gem, but Kristi’s a better arm wrestler.

~ Anna

DISCLAIMER: YOU COULD EXPECT A HOLLOW STICK, A BIRD’S NEST, AND SPARKLY ROCKS FROM THIS RECOMMENDATION, BUT NOT IMPARTIALITY.

Not from us. We’re too invested. You see, we’re Elise’s critique partners–and we love her character creations like they were family. That makes us their crazy aunts, of sorts.

Who doesn’t secretly love the mischief-maker?

Take her soon-to-be firstborn, Magnolia, for instance. We’ve been with Elise since Magnolia’s conception. Okay, maybe that sounds a little weird, but If You Ever Want To Bring An Alligator started with a funny picture–one not quite as polished as the postcard version above, but almost. It made us snort and say, “This is a great seed for a picture book.” That was the non-steamy conception.

Following this stage we fed Elise popcorn to appease her quirky “with child/character” cravings.

We monitored Magnolia’s embryonic stages of revisions, queries, and conferences. Then, we heard Magnolia’s heartbeat when an editor at the Fall 2013 Iowa SCBWI Conference told Elise that she had a breakout character.

We held Elise’s hand during her labor pains, when she queried Steven Malk of Writers House. And we held a baby shower when Mr. Malk offered representation and got her the amazing three-book deal with Little, Brown & Company.

And now we pace the floor, anticipating Magnolia’s birth. (You’ve probably surmised: It’s a girl! Oh–and an alligator.) Elise’s IF YOU EVER WANT TO BRING AND ALLIGATOR TO SCHOOL, DON’T debuts July 7. We can’t wait until Elise introduces you to our feisty new niece.

Magnolia at the 2015 Book Expo of America (BEA)

Magnolia’s professional début at the 2015 Book Expo of America (BEA)

Watch for Anna’s gem next week!

We want to hear from you!
What is your favorite children’s book featuring a cold-blooded vertebrate?

ONLY MY DAD AND ME

Posted on June 17, 2015 by annamarras

June is the month to honor dads.
What children’s book is your ode to fatherhood?

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: KidLit Gems for Dad

ONLY MY DAD AND ME
Text © 2003, Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Illustrations © 2003, Tiphanie Beeke

Picture Book Fiction

Age Range: 2-5 years

Grade Level: Preschool-K

Harper-Festival, HarperCollins Publishers

Award
2004 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award Winner

When it’s only my dad and me, We pick shells from the sand, And jump waves hand in hand. ~ ONLY MY DAD AND ME

Only My Dad and Me, is a wonderful rhyming book that takes the young reader through seasonal rituals. This book resonated with me as I read it with my children because the setting is always outdoors, which was our favored place to explore. The double flaps of the book reveal how time spent together can build a lifetime of beloved memories that celebrate the friendship a child has with their father. Beeke’s saturated hues and watercolor style further celebrate Satin’s capricious narration. Their married simplistic style creates an overall feel of energetic love, that Only a Dad and child share. The perfect picture book to celebrate the Father’s Day season.

~ Kristi

____________________________________________________________________

We go sailing away. “IT’S SUMMER! HOORAY!” When it’s only my dad and me. ~ ONLY MY DAD AND ME

Kids love buried treasure. This quiet little gem provides the joy of discovery with whimsical watercolor surprises on hidden double flap pages. Your young ones will ones enjoy opening the folds to spot a dancing squirrel amidst autumn leaves, a winter snow bunny eating a carrot, a spring scarecrow and a bluejay nest, summer seashells and fishing mice, during four seasons of adventure with a bunny father and child.

Kudos to Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Tiphanie Beeke for creating such a sweet tribute to fatherhood.

~ Anna

Watch for Kristi’s gem again next week!

We want to hear from you!
What children’s book is your ode to fatherhood?

July’s KidLit Gem Theme – Reptilian Tales

GASTON

Posted on May 13, 2015 by annamarras

May is our month to recognize mothers.
What children’s book mothers go above and beyond?

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: KidLit Gems for Mom

GASTON
Text © 2014, Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrations © 2014, Christian Robinson

Picture
Book

Fiction

Age Range:
4-8 years

Grade Level:
Preschool-Third

Antheneum Books
for
Young Readers

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

Awards

Kirkus, Starred Review
Horn Book Magazine, Starred Review
Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
Publisher’s Weekly, Best Summer Books 2014

Mrs. Poodle admired her new puppies, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. ~ Gaston

Gaston is a story about a delivery room mix-up that goes right. What’s not to love? It has humor. Fi-Fi? Foo-Foo? Ooh-La-La? I bet Kelly DiPucchio’s critique group spit cappuccino out of their noses when they first read these names out loud.

It has smarts. Alliterations please the ears: “There was much to see. Daffodils. Ducklings. Dogs.” Attention-getting cues engage: “Would you like to see them again?”

It has heart. Despite parenting alone and discovering a post-delivery mix-up, the canine supermoms, Mrs. Poodle and Mrs. Bulldog, raise well-adjusted, thriving offspring. This is the perfect book for those who question their place in the world. While researching Gaston, I was surprised by nature vs. nurture debates. My take: While every family situation is different, one element remains the same. Belonging isn’t about similarities. It’s about love.

Christian Robinson’s retro illustrations, including the Poodle and Bulldog family pictures; make me miss my sentimental supermom; and my fairly normal, but unique gold, orange, and green childhood.

~ Anna
___________________________________________________________________

From that day forward the families met in the park every afternoon to play. Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette taught the poodle puppies a thing or two about being tough.

Likewise, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston taught the bulldog puppies a thing or two about being tender. ~ Gaston

Gaston reminds me of Romeo & Juliet, two families from opposite sides of the tracks, circling their territory. This age appropriate picture book’s delightful alliteration, rhymes and Matisse-esque illustrations contribute to the age-old adage, “opposites attract”. Children will delight as the “brutish or brawny” and the “proper or precious” unite. Three cheers for the mothers in this story that wisely, stand-by as Gaston and Antoinette explore their true identities. And unlike Romeo & Juliet, where the families are meddling, there is a happy ending to this love story.

~ Kristi

Watch for Kristi’s pick next!

We want to hear from you!
What children’s book moms excel in the motherhood department?

MAPLE

Posted on April 8, 2015 by annamarras

Welcome to KidLit Gems, a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: Planting Seeds

Picture
Book

Fiction

Age Range:
3-5 years

Grade Level:
Preschool-Kindergarten

NANCY PAULSEN BOOKS

An imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group

and there was just enough room under the tree for Maple and her little sister . . . Willow. ~ Maple

Maple will charm anyone who loves Kevin Henkes’ Chrysanthemum. Lori Nichol’s début picture book also has the sweet promise of new life; the struggles and rewards of friendship, growth, and self-identity; and a curious female protagonist who loves her name. Nichols skillfully communicates innocence and calm through white and blue space, then embraces her characters and readers with translucent leaves. The pages, with their recurring themes will make you go back to revisit. Was a bird’s nest there before?

Growing up in a family of die-hard tree-lovers, I appreciate how Nichols created special bonds between her human characters and their deciduous namesakes. I’ll admit, I’m relieved my parents didn’t do the same, because my name would be Spruce. And evergreens are harder to hug.

If you enjoyed Maple, you’ll also love Sophie’s Squash written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf.
~ Anna
___________________________________________________________________

When she was still a whisper, her parents planted a tiny tree in her honor! ~ Maple

Full disclosure here: Maple and Willow were both on my baby name list in case I had girls. But even without my inherent bias, this endearing story following a little tree-hugger through the seasons definitely holds its own. Sparse text and uncluttered illustrations work in harmony to parallel the growth of trees and families. Maple’s sometimes clumsy attempts to befriend her tree, and later her baby sister, are sweet but not sappy. Pun intended, fir sure!
~ Lou
____________________________________________________________________

Maple Book Trailer by Lori Nichols

Watch for Kristi’s pick next!

We want to hear from you!
What children’s books plant seeds in you?

MISS MAPLE’S SEEDS

Posted on April 1, 2015 by annamarras

Welcome to KidLit Gems, a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: Planting Seeds

Picture Book,
Fiction
Age Range:
3-5 years
Grade Level:
Preschool-Kindergarten

NANCY PAULSEN BOOKS
A division of Penguin Young Readers Group

2013 New York Times Bestseller

“Take care, my little ones,” Miss Maple says, “for the world is big and you are small.” ~ Miss Maple’s Seeds

In Miss Maple’s Seeds, a sweet caretaker gathers lost and forgotten seeds, tenderly cares for them through the winter, and prepares them to set off on their own in the spring. Parents will certainly catch the poignancy here. Young readers will love the illustration details showing how Miss Maple treasures each and every seed, and will turn the last page dreaming of their own marvelous futures. I ‘sneak’ this book into my science class under the guise of introducing seed variety and dispersal, and my first graders adore Miss Maple’s Seeds as much as I do. Bravo, Eliza Wheeler!
~ Lou
___________________________________________________________________

“. . . even the grandest of trees once had to grow up from the smallest of seeds.” ~ Miss Maple’s Seeds

Throughout Miss Maple’s Seeds, Eliza Wheeler gently guides readers into picturesque settings and seasons to experience life as a tiny seed. Like a true parent, Miss Maple brings hope to her adoptive plant embryos as they dream of rich soil and warm sunshine. She warns them to “stay clear of weedy characters,” encourages them to dance in the rain, and when the time is right, she sets her infants free to take root.

Wheeler’s quiet illustrations captivate. Soar on the back of a bluebird. Explore Miss Maple’s tree home. Let Eliza Wheeler nurture your curious mind.
~ Anna
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