Building Picture Books

 Did I hook you with that title? Did you think this blog post was going to be about how to create a picture book? Homonyms can be clever--and difficult for English language learners! 

In this case, I'm using "building" as an adjective. The spring issue of Talking Story is coming out next week and Rebecca Wheeler and I are featuring books that are about building. We have four great giveaways and I'm introducing two of them here.

LET'S BUILD A LITTLE TRAIN (Sleeping Bear Press: 2022)

This informative yet entertaining picture book written by Julia Richardson and with colorful illustrations by Ryan O'Rourke is for the youngest reader in your home or school. Children will enjoy the simple rhyme, rhythm, and "Chugga Chugga Choo Chooo" which they can chime in with. 

Although the characters and some of the tools are contemporary-looking, the book shows the steps for building a 19th-century steam engine. It begins with this page:

The book shows the men and women who helped build it, some of their tasks, and the different parts of the steam engine. 

The engine pulls a beautiful train as it moves through the countryside.

Two pages of back matter show the history of steam trains, how they work, and photographs that define some of the words used in the book.

Young builders and their teachers and parents will enjoy reading this STEM book together. Writers, you will want to study this book for word choice, structure, and the framework of the story!

PRAIRIE BOY: Frank Lloyd Wright Turns The Heartland Into a Home

PRAIRIE BOY (Astra Publishing: 2019), written by Barb Rosenstock and perfectly illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal is about architecture, history, and dreams. It will educate and inspire an older audience than Let's Build a Little Train; I would recommend it for ages 5-9. 

Frank Lloyd Wright is a name familiar to many of us. Although adults might know him as a famous architect, this childhood-adulthood picture book shows readers (and the adults who read it to them!) what events inspired Wright's famous career. 

As you read this opening, consider Rosentock's use of verbs, alliteration, and shapes, AND how she shows the growth and personality of a young boy in one very tight paragraph:

FRANK WRIGHT TOOK HIS FIRST BREATH ON THE WISCONSIN PRAIRIE. He crawled in the paths of brush-footed butterflies and toddled through waves of tall grass. He skipped past oval milkweed sees, six-sided honeycombs, and trying-face badgers, growing into the kind of boy who wondered...

     

HOW DO BROWN FIELD ANTS

   HIDE IN WHITE QUEEN ANNE'S LACE?

WHEN DOES THE HARVEST MOON

   CHANGE SHAPE?

WHAT MAKES THE PRAIRIE

   FEEL LIKE HOME?

 

Frank moved five times in seven years and yearned for the "shapes of the heartland." His mother bought him a set of Froebel blocks which fascinated him as he discovered how shapes were connected to one another.

His mother bought him more blocks.

 

As a teenager, Frank began to dream.

He moved to Chicago, studied architecture, and watched as fancy houses went up on flat prairie lots. They reflected Greek Revival, Victorian, and Italian architecture.  Everyone liked them, except Frank.

He wanted to design new kinds of homes that fit new American families. So, that's what he did.

"Like magic, he shook dozens of shapes from his shirtsleeves- ovals, hexagons, triangles, cubes, spheres, and cylinders... He called the Prairie Houses...and spun the shapes he loved into America's homes."

The back matter includes photographs of several famous Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and the plans for Fallingwater; a famous home in Mill Run Pa. 

If I were using this book in the classroom, I would not only ask students to look for figurative language, but I would ask them to cite instances where the text emphasizes shapes. What a wonderful way to pay tribute to an architect who loved shapes. 

GIVEAWAYS!

I am giving away both of these books next week through Talking Story. I'd love it if you subscribed to this quarterly newsletter. You can use the QRC code below or click here to subscribe. If you leave me a comment below, please let me know which book you prefer. If you leave a comment through the newsletter, I'll enter your name twice. As always, if you are an educator, librarian, or a new subscriber to my blog, you will earn an additional chance. U.S. addresses only. The giveaway ends April 20. Make sure you leave your email address if you are new to my blog.

THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW: A Picture Book Review and Mini-Author Interview

This must be the season for new picture books because my email box is full of books waiting to be reviewed. I'm happy to share one by author and self-proclaimed backyard explorer, Sue Heavenrich. 

The Pie That Molly Grew  (Sleeping Bear Press: 2023) combines the rhythm of the nursery rhyme, This is the House that Jack Built with the science of growing pumpkins. It ends with a yummy feast and STEM back matter (including directions for scooping out a pumpkin and a pie recipe) that every preK-first grade teacher will love. 

REVIEW

Here is the opening page which reflects the simple beginning of what becomes an enormous plant.

The lyrical book proceeds to show Molly planting the seed and watching it sprout. Next, she plants it in her garden:

         "to grow from the seed that Molly sowed."

(Are you starting to hear the rhythm?)

Next to arrive on the scene are leaves as "big as your head turning sunlight to food wherever they spread."

As Molly tends to her pumpkin plant, the vine grows and grows and begins to produce blossoms.

The author makes sure that her readers understand the important role that bees have in pollination.

Molly proudly displays her pumpkin "big and round" which is "sliced and diced and baked in a pan and left on the table till feasting began."

for the seed and the sprout,

for the vine and the leaves,

for the flowers that nourished the hardworking bees.

And the wonderful pie that Molly made.

Parents, grandparents, and educators-beware! Every child who hears this book will want to: 

a) scoop out a pumpkin and save the seeds

b) make a pie

c) plant pumpkin seeds next spring!

Chamisa Kellog's bright illustrations will grab young readers' attention as they are drawn into The Pie That Molly Grew. 

Mini-Author Interview

Carol: I’m curious about the different types of bees that you have seen pollinating your garden. Can you talk about that a bit?

 

Sue: I love watching the insects that share my garden and listening to their buzzing and humming. I started looking at them more closely when I became one of the community science volunteers at the Great Sunflower Project (https://www.greatsunflower.org), growing flowers for – and counting – the pollinators in my garden. And by “growing flowers” I mean that I allow flowers that some folks call weeds to grow in my garden bed: Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, dead nettle, mullien, red clover – the bees love clover! I don’t know the names to all the bees that visit, but I’ll see common eastern bumble bees, tricolor bumble bees, yellow bumble bees, carpenter bees (they are the ones with shiny bee butts!), leafcutter bees, metallic green sweat bees, and squash bees. There are also a number of flower-pollinating flies, too.

A bee doing her job in Sue's garden.

Carol: Do you ever save your pumpkin seeds?

 

Sue: I do. Saving the seeds from a pumpkin is pretty easy: cut open the pumpkin (which you have to do whether you’re baking it for pie or making a jack-o-lantern) and scoop out the guts. Then I pull out bunches of seeds and rinse them in a strainer to get the strings off, and let them dry on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet for a few days. Pumpkins are related to other squashes,  cukes, and melons, and sometimes they can be cross-pollinated. So you might get a surprise when you plant your saved seeds – especially if your pumpkins were growing within flight distance of zucchinis. But hey! It’s science. 

                                            *****

To read Sue's answers to some commonly asked questions, check out Chamisa's interview on Sue's blog.

Here are more blogs that are featuring Molly this week and next:

Aug 15 - at Vivian Kirkfield's blog for a Book Birthday & giveaway

 

 Aug. 16 - we'll join the STEAMTeam at Maria Marshall’s blog, The Picture Book Buzz

Aug. 18 - at Carol Baldwin’s blog & a giveaway!

Aug. 23 - with Kathy Halsey on the GROG blog

Aug. 25 - over at Beth Anderson's blog

Aug 28 - with Lauri Fortino at Frog on a Blog

GIVEAWAY

Sleeping Bear Press is providing a giveaway copy. If you are interested in winning this informative and fun book, please leave me a comment by August 21. As usual, if you share this post on social media or are an educator or librarian, you get an extra chance. If you are new to my blog, please leave your email address. U.S. addresses only. If you prefer, email me to enter the giveaway.

BRAINSTORM! A Word Play Picture Book + A Giveaway

 Every once in awhile in my "career" as a picture book reviewer, I come across a book and I ask myself, "Why didn't I think of this?" BRAINSTORM! written by Rebecca Gardyn Levington and illustrated by Kate Kronreif is one of those books. From the title, to the puns, poetry, and figurative language on every page--there is A LOT of wordplay going on.  

REVIEW

In the first spread, we find our character feeling stuck.

Like raindrops, words and pictures start dropping into the girl's mind as a storm lets loose.

  An easy breeze... becomes a blast of funny phrases flying past.

Suddenly, there's a word whirlwind!

After stomping around in the mud of ideas and words, (and what writer can't identify with that metaphor!)

 I pounce and play, embrace the storm, as sentences begin to form.

Finally,

It stops. It's over. Done. The clouds float off and out comes...sun.

That's the climax, but there's a wonderful denouement that brings this story full circle.

CURRICULUM RESOURCE

This is a text that kindergarten to second-grade teachers will be able to use in the classroom to encourage young writers. If I were in a classroom, I would first read it out loud and let the class enjoy the rhythm and images. The second time, I would ask students to pick out the figurative language: similes, alliteration, onomatopoeia; as well as great adverbs and adjectives.  It would be fun to discover how many ways the author, illustrator, and the little girl all play with words. 

A fun extension activity would be to ask the students to draw words playing in the same manner in which Kate Kronreif dances them on the page!

LINKS

For a behind-the-scenes look at the book’s backstory, how Rebecca worked with the illustrator and her publishing journey, please see this interview: https://susannahill.com/2022/08/02/tuesday-debut-presenting-rebecca-gardyn-levington/ 

Here’s a podcast for more information: https://susannahill.com/2022/08/02/tuesday-debut-presenting-rebecca-gardyn-levington/

And a joint interview with both Rebecca and Kate: https://susannahill.com/2022/08/02/tuesday-debut-presenting-rebecca-gardyn-levington/

GIVEAWAY

The July issue of Talking Story is on wordplay and I will be giving away this book then. Leave me a comment now and I'll add your name to the giveaway list. Leave a comment through the newsletter (not a subscriber? Click here to subscribe) and I'll enter your name twice. If you’re a teacher or librarian, I’ll enter your name twice. Trust me. This is a book that every writer, caregiver, and teacher should have on her shelf to share with the young readers in her life! U.S. addresses only. I have to approve comments, so be patient if your comment doesn’t appear immediately! 

TWO FRIENDSHIP PICTURE BOOKS BOOKS + TWO GIVEAWAYS + ONE AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 It's time for another double review and giveaway courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press!

LUNA'S Green Pet

This is a delightful debut picture book by Kirsten Pendreigh and illustrated by Carmen Mok about a girl who feels left out because no pets are allowed in her apartment.

Her friends make suggestions but none of them felt right. Until one day Luna finds something very unusual.

She names her plant, reads to it, and even takes it for walks--which usually works out well.

Her pet was perfect, even if her friends disagreed. 

But,  one day, strange clumps of bumps appeared. Luna worried.

During the night, the bumps burst open! A powerful perfume woke Luna...Stephanie's sweet scent wafted through the building.

Luna was thrilled. And when the pet parade walked down her street, Luna was proud to display Stephanie.

Stephanie offered one more surprise. She grew a pod!

I love the sweet ending that shows seeds floating away on the night wind with Luna saying. "Someone out there is waiting to love their own Stephanie."

The back matter includes why houseplants make great pets, recommendations for which houseplants to try, and information about Stephanotis Floribunda.

Mr. Thatcher's House

Kristin Wauson wrote and illustrated this clever and funny debut book. Make sure you read her author interview below to see how she came up with her ideas.  

In the beginning, the reader finds Mr. Thatcher building the perfect house. (Aha! The character and his goal in one simple sentence!)

But no matter how hard he tried, something always seemed missing. So, he kept on working and the house grew and grew--but it still wasn't perfect. (Aha #2! We get the character's internal drive and obstacles!)

One morning, his work was interrupted by one of his neighbors.

Of course, Mr. Thatcher doesn't want her to stay in his imperfect house, but the witch makes herself at home baking goodies.

There's another knock on the door.

Mr. Thatcher is suddenly surrounded by the sound of music provided by the three pigs.

Who should also need a house? None other than,

Mr. Thatcher went back to work, but there were MANY interruptions. And the next time he heard knocking, he panicked.

Mr. Thatcher had enough. He moved out. 

But then he stopped and looked inside his house and saw that cakes were baking and a stew was bubbling. There was music and laughter and the comforting crackle of logs in the fireplace. For the first time, his house felt like home.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH KRISTEN WAUSON

 CAROL: I would like to know how you came up with this fun idea! I love how you integrated the fairy tale characters into the story. Can you tell my readers a little bit about how you developed that idea? What was your inspiration? 

 

KRISTEN: In 2018 I wrote down the idea that became Mr. Thatcher’s House. I was participating in Tara Lazar’s Storystorm, which is something I always like to do. My husband and my father-in-law build Craftsman-style homes and I was inspired by my father-in-law, who has been remodeling his own house, in his spare time, for the past 30 years. It’s going to be perfect one day—if he can ever finish.

 

I started thinking about all the classic stories I remembered from childhood and realized that many of those stories involved a house problem. In the most obvious one, a trio of pigs had their houses reduced to rubble by a pesky wolf. But, I started having a lot of fun thinking of all the reasons different fairytale characters might need new homes. The bears had suffered a home invasion by Goldilocks, and Hansel and Gretel keep eating a poor elderly woman’s house.

 

And what did all these characters need? They needed a master carpenter – someone to build them the perfect house!

 

CAROL: Is this your debut book as an author-illustrator? 

 

KRISTEN: Yes. This is my first published book!

 

CAROL: Can you tell us about your path to publication?

KRISTEN: I always liked to draw, and I worked as a graphic designer before coming to children’s books. I left my job in 2015 after my youngest son was born. In 2016, I joined SCBWI and attended my first conference. I knew very little about children’s books, so was extremely lucky to be awarded a mentorship with a published illustrator at that conference.

 

In 2018 I put together the dummy for Mr. Thatcher’s House, which helped me connect with my agent, Adria Goetz during a #PBPitch event. After I signed with her, we polished the dummy and she sent it out for submission in late 2019. Then 2020 happened and everything slowed down considerably, but we accepted an offer in February of 2021, the book was announced in May and it came out in the fall of 2022.

GIVEAWAY

Please leave me your name and email address (if you are new to my blog) and which book you'd prefer to win--I try to honor requests. This giveaway ends on April 21. American addresses only. Subscribe to my blog and/or share this on social media and I'll enter your name twice. 

TWO CANADIAN STORIES + TWO GIVEAWAYS

This week I have two very different picture books for you courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press; both are related to Canada's national winter sport--hockey. If you want to win either of these books, make sure to include your name and email address when you leave a comment and let me know which book you're interested in. 

The Three Canadian Pigs  by Jocelyn Watkinson, illustrated by Marcus Cutler

Jocelyn Watkinson took The Three Little Pigs, gave them a Canadian twist, and produced a fun picture book that children--and the adults who read this book to them--will really enjoy. 

When Wolf chases him down in his fancy Zamboni, the pigs cry out, 

"I'm sorry there, Wolf, you are sorely mistaken--"

and Wolf responds, 

"Oh no!  But I'm not! You're Canadian bacon!"

The puns and Canadian references only get better from there. 

Of course, Wolf goes to their modern-day snow fort cleverly designed by Marcus Cutler and of course, he tries to "huff and puff and blow it down." And of course the pigs reply,

Despite enlisting his friends Bear and Moose, the snow fort cannot be shaken. The pigs demand to settle their feud the "Canadian way"-- which of course, means on the hockey rink.

It's no surprise that the pigs take the lead. Wolf gets mad and resorts to some nasty moves.

Moose and Bear come to the pigs' defense and Wolf leaves with an empty tummy. But since the pigs are an honorable sort, they invite everyone back to their fort.

Now, wait up there, eh! There's no need to take off!

There's tons of great food back at home in our trough!

Wolf apologizes, "Pigs, I'm so sorry that I was a brute."

They wave him off with,

Then they all turned on the game, and they put up their feet...

and Wolf announces,

Being friends with Canadian bacon is sweet! 

                                                    ****

Jocelyn told me that she wrote The Three Canadian Pigs because she had moved to the U.S. and was homesick for Canada. She was working on some fractured fairytales when her mother said, "Do the three little pigs but make them Canadian!" This goes to show, we ALL need to listen to our mothers!

GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE! The Joey Moss Story by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Alice Carter

Lorna Schultz Nicholson has crafted a heart-warming story about Joey Moss, a man who became a Canadian hero.

The first spread shows the reader how Joey Moss loved to make people smile--just by being himself.  Then the book flashes back to September 1963 when Joey was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

The fact that he was born with Down Syndrome didn't change how his family of eleven siblings welcomed him and incorporated his tambourine playing into their musical act.

Joey graduated from a special school for children with developmental disabilities and got a job working at a local bottle depot. It wasn't much fun and Joey had to catch several buses to get to work.

But, things changed when a family friend, Wayne Gretzky, saw Joey shivering at a bus stop one day.

Wayne helped Joey get a job working in the Edmonton Oilers equipment room. Despite being made fun of at times, Joey loved it!

Joey worked hard and the team loved his friendly enthusiasm.

The TV cameras focused on him when he sang the national anthem before games. After the Canadian Football League asked him to work for them also, he became so popular that people asked him for his autograph!

He helped out at charity golf events and modeled clothes at the Edmonton Down Syndrome Society fashion shows. 

Whether it was belting out "O Canada!" before a hockey game,

or helping people, Joey loved making people smile.

For the rest of his life, Joey Moss continued to be an inspiration for people and an advocate for those with disabilities.

Just by being himself, Joey showed the world that everyone can be a force for good, active in their community, and a positive role model.

                                                    ****

Joey Moss was an inspiration to Lorna and she is happy that she got to dance with him at the Edmonton Down Syndrome Society fashion show. The illustrations by Alice Carter are warm and inviting--just like Joey was. 

Here is a Joey Moss Tribute video that will help you realize why Lorna wrote this inspirational book. 

GIVEAWAY

I am giving away both of these books! Leave a comment with your name and email address, or send me an email if you prefer. Please let me know which book you prefer. If you share this on social media, you will get one extra chance; if you follow my blog you will get another chance. Tell me what you have done and I will enter your name accordingly. U.S. postal addresses only.  Please note that your comment will not show up until I approve it. The giveaway ends on March 9.