@KentuckyPress
Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountains, by Mike Norris, carved illustrations by Minnie Adkins; University Press of Kentucky, $19.95, 48 pages, all ages.
Recognized for its distinctive storytelling tradition, Appalachia is home to generations of artists, musicians, and writers. Mommy Goose: Rhymes from the Mountains is a visual and rhythmic celebration of this distinct segment of American culture. Author Mike Norris’ fifty original nursery rhymes capture the bluegrass spirit of this rugged and independent land. The verses are arranged in order of complexity–simple, short rhymes lead to more challenging poems. Still, most independent readers will find the text humorous and engaging–consider this ode to a paunchy, lazy calico cat:
Big and fat.
The calico cat
Slept through his dinner.
Now full of sorrow,
He’ll wait till tomorrow,
When he’s a little thinner.
Accompanying the verses are over 100 carved illustrations by folk artist Minnie Adkins, whose woodwork resides in the permanent collections at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the American Folk Art Museum, and other institutions. A native of Isonville, Kentucky, Adkins’ bright, whimsical artwork is firmly rooted in the cultural traditions of Appalachia, and are a joy to behold.
An important and entertaining addition to any serious Americana collection.
(Children’s) BookNotes April 20, 2016
Harry Potter’s million-audio milestone, French classics professors protest cutbacks, and Cartoon Network’s “Steven Universe” creator gets a kids book addressing gender fluidity, this week in the world of children’s books.
Listen Up! Harry Potter’s Million-Audio Milestone :
Classics Professors in France Protest Education Reform in Style:
Rebecca Sugar announces ‘Steven Universe’ children’s book that addresses gender fluidity:
The Hero Two Doors Down
@scholastic
The Hero Two Doors Down, by Sharon Robinson; Scholastic Press, $16.99, 208 pages, ages 9-13.
Eight-year old baseball fanatic Stephen Satlow lives for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, and one day the boy’s hero, Jackie Robinson, moves into his mostly Jewish neighborhood. The baseball giant befriends Stephen while teaching the boy about respect and courage in the face of adversity. Written by Sharon Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s daughter, The Hero Two Doors Down is based on interviews Sharon conducted with the real Stephen Satlow. Though a wonderful premise, sections of the story are weighed down by overly didactic passages, and some dialogue exchanges are clunky. Still, young sports fans and reluctant readers may find the book enjoyable or be inspired to seek out further reading about this most remarkable person.
An Olympic Dream: The Story of Samia Yusuf Omar, by Reinhard Kleist; SelfMadeHero, $22.95, 152 pages, ages 13 and up.
Today is Patriots’ Day, a holiday recognizing the brave fighters of the Revolutionary War. It is celebrated only in Maine and Massachusetts, but it is also the running of the Boston Marathon (originally called the Patriots’ Day Race). As a native of the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it seems only fitting, as the race live-streams on a screen nearby, to share with you a remarkable biography about courage and dignity in the face of overwhelming odds.
Reinhard Kleist’s graphic novel An Olympic Dream: The Story of Samia Yusuf Omar tells the poignant story of a Somali runner who endured challenges including civil war, religious persecution, abuse, malnutrition, and imprisonment in her bid to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Readers may remember watching Omar in the 200 meter sprint, wearing donated shoes, a baggy t-shirt and spandex. She came in last, and for awhile, her story and plight became international news. Soon enough, Omar faded from public view. In 2012, Omar was in Libya. There, she boarded an Italy-bound migrant boat, hoping to train in Italy to qualify for the 2012 London games. The boat capsized, and Omar drowned at the age of 21. Kleist’s dramatic pen-and-ink illustrations explore the challenges Omar faced and offers powerful commentary on the European response to the current refugee crisis.
Congratulations to all the runners in today’s race!
Missing Fred Marcellino
@FredMarcellino @harpercollinschildrens
I’m reading The Wainscott Weasel to my daughter at bedtime. Tor Seidler’s rhythmic storytelling and Fred Marcellino’s graceful illustrations are so totally in tune with each other, it’s worth taking off the shelf if you haven’t read it in a while.
Stellar pacing and expressive illustration, this is a prime example of words and art in perfect harmony.
Published in 1993 by HarperCollins and reissued in 2014, this was the second collaboration for Seidler and Marcellino (A Rat’s Tale, about a
mischievous
Manhattan rodent, appeared in 1986), and the combination is electric. The story follows love-struck weasels, striped bass, and a predatory osprey all living on the South Fork of Long Island. There are daring acts of heroism, dancing, and dashes of philosophical musings on a weasel’s rightful place in the world. Big concepts, yes, but skillfully and simply articulated for young readers. Up and coming children’s book creators would learn much about their craft by reading this book.
Siedler continues to write–Mean Margaret (1997) was named
Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association, and his most recent book, Firstborn, was published in 2015. Marcellino designed book jackets for Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale and Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities and others before entering and revolutionizing the world of children’s picture book art. He died of colon cancer in July 2001.
(Children’s) BookNotes, April 13, 2016
Beverly Cleary turns 100, and Scholastic announces a poetry contest.
Publisher’s Weekly interviewed beloved children’s book author Beverly Cleary, who turned 100 on April 12.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Scholastic and
U.S.A. Gold®
Pencils company announces a student poetry contest for public school children in grades 1-6. Read the details here. (Hurry! The contest ends April 29.)
@hmhco Upward Mobility
Flying Frogs and Walking Fish, by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.99, 32 pages, ages 4-8.
Tree-climbing goats, walking octopuses, flying snakes, and other creatures make an appearance in the latest scientific exploration by husband-and-wife duo Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Over forty animals climb, jet, roll, and leap through the pages, highlighting all the ways critters move. Expressive paper collage renderings of elephants, springboks, and scallops are accompanied by precise, straightforward text that both informs and delights. A glossary offers further explanation about each creature.
An engaging concept book that nurtures scientific inquiry and artistic creation.
@HMHCo @yourbuffalo
The Kid from Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton, by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Steven Salerno; Clarion Press, $17.99, 38 pages, ages 6-9.
Baseball is officially in season, and what better way to celebrate America’s pastime than with a few well-chosen children’s books? First-Grade Dropout author Audrey Vernick’s latest picture book explores the often overlooked story of legendary ballplayer Edith Houghton (1912-2013), who, as a ten year old, played starting shortstop for the all-women’s Philadelphia Bobbies in the 1920s. Houghton and the Bobbies competed against men’s teams at home and abroad–their trip to Japan was an international sensation. Salerno’s charcoal and gouache illustrations capture Houghton’s love of the sport while also channeling the vibrance and modernity of the 1920s and 30s. Though Vernick peppers choice quotes from Houghton throughout the text, there is no mention of her sources in the author’s notes–the only strike against this otherwise excellent book on the joy of sport.
Literary Features Syndicate 