This Picture Book Life

the princess and the pony + cozy sweaters

09.15.2015

The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (2015).

A princess who wants to be a warrior but who usually gets cozy sweaters for her birthday. A princess who wishes for a warrior’s horse this time but gets a little, round pony who farts instead. These are what Kate Beaton’s hilarious picture book is made of.

That’s Princess Pinecone over on the right in the warrior line up, wearing one of those cozy sweaters.

There’s her birthday gift, a farting pony. While her parents got the present totally wrong, their hearts are in the right places. Throughout the book, they’re Princess Pinecone’s biggest fans and yet don’t know what to do with her.

One of the wonderful things about Princess Pinecone is that she doesn’t’ take out the pony’s wrongness on the pony. She just tries her best and prepares for an upcoming warrior battle with him.

During the battle, there’s a huge revelation. It turns out, even (real) warriors have a cuddly sweater kind of side.

Be sure and look out for fantastic details in the illustrations, from hot dogs and snorkelers in the battle scene to the band posters on Pinecone’s bedroom wall. I also love the mix of Viking-esque elements with modern day ones.

Pinecone is a champion in the end, not because she’s the meanest, awfulest warrior with the most fierce horse. She’s a champion because she’s not those things. And because she accepts Pinecone for who he is. (Farts notwithstanding.)

(Even the pony gets some cozy sweaters in the endpapers!)

Thanks to Scholastic for the first three images!

Cozy sweaters! Here’s my roundup of cutie-pie sweatshirts for kids found on etsy, the kind Princess Pinecone would be proud to wear:

Kutikati’s woodland animals sweatshirt.

David Bowie sweatshirt from Monofaces for the littlest fans.

Two String Jane is one of my favorite etsy shops period. I mean, this rainbow splash-dyed mini-hoodie?!

Lulu and Roo‘s installment is tiny, cozy, and geometric. Win, win, win.

Love this watercolor tiger sweatshirt from 8am Apparel.

Raccoon hooded (and tailed)sweatshirt from Two String Jane! The cuteness!!

Not just a French fries sweatshirt, but French fries sporting mustaches and berets. Thank you, Ministry of Play.

One last installment from Two String Jane again because…heartbreaker hoodie.

recent non-fiction picture books that will make you cry (in a good way)

picture books for pairing

09.08.2015

The Case for Loving by Selina Alko, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko.

This book. It’s by an interracial couple about an interracial couple in the past, the Lovings, who went to court to fight for the legality of their marriage and changed everything. Qualls and Alko combined illustration techniques to create a truly special, collaborative book with love at its center.

Growing up Pedro by Matt Tavares.

Even if you’re not a baseball fan, I guarantee this story of two brothers looking out for each other will get to you. Pedro Martinez was once a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic, dreaming of the major leagues. This is the story of how he got there and the relationship with his older brother that sustained him.

Enormous Smallness by Matthew Burgess, illustrations by Kris Di Giacomo.

This biography of E.E. Cummings is moving because of its beauty—in illustrations and layout design and in poetry. Not only that, but it’s infused with spirit and the idea that you can accomplish your dreams with courage and by staying true to yourself. Yes.

Swan by Laurel Snyder and Julie Morstad.

The perfect combination of joy and melancholy, this tribute to Anna Pavlova’s life (and death) brings sweet, satisfying tears.

Ivan the Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherin Applegate, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.

If you loved the middle grade novel, The One and Only Ivan, then you’ll love this pared down picture book version for younger readers. It gives us the real life story of a gorilla captured from his home and family, living an isolated shopping mall experience, and then finally finding a new home and companions.

Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers.

This book will make you feel things because of who wrote it (principal ballerina Misty Copeland) and how she did so. And it will make you feel things because of who it’s addressed to: young people with dreams that seem far away to impossible. Plus those vibrant, fiery illustrations that dance on the page.

And finally, one to look forward to!

Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (out in October!).

This is the origin behind the origin of Winnie the Pooh, the real life bear named Winnipeg. It’s a beautiful example of a story within a story—a mother telling her son a bedtime tale about their family history: a veterinarian in the army during World War I and the bear cub he bought for twenty dollars at a train station. It’s a masterful book and has so much to say about those moments when one’s “heart makes up one’s mind.”

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for the image of Finding Winnie.

Any tear-inducing (in a good way) non-fiction picture books to add to the list?

the wonderful fluffy little squishy + tulle pom pom craft!

Picture Book Crafts

09.01.2015

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy by Beatrice Alemagna (September 2015).

First, the neon pink in this book! You’ll see it on the opening endpapers and it is bright bright bright! Then you can watch for it throughout the story. On little Eddie’s jacket. And then, in the conclusion, on the wonderful fluffy little squishy for which the book is a quest. That neon pink connects these two characters. It tells us they were meant to be united.

(click image(s) to enlarge)

We immediately love and know Eddie because she thinks she can’t do anything (who can’t relate?). And that she has a big heart. When she hears “birthday—Mommy—fuzzy—little—squishy” from her sister’s mouth, she wants to give her mother something very special. She sets off to look for that very fuzzy little squishy thing that she believes must exist.

“The whole book stems from the character of Fluffy. One day, out of nowhere, I drew this kind of electrified dog and I instantly felt the need to tell its story.”

—Beatrice Alemagna

Eddie searches her town, going to store owners who might have just the thing. I love Eddie’s independence and her relationship with the shopkeepers, each of whom gives her something for her journey (a clover, a rare stamp). (Oh, and look out for tiny spots of hot pink on some spreads—I’m looking at you especially, antique shop.) But of course, as in real life, there’s one adult Eddie is not friendly with. Because he’s a meanie! (And kind of scary!)

“I always want to tell the same story: a fragile being that finds great strength within himself.”

—Beatrice Alemagna

And just like those magical times in real life, it is in the moment of wanting to give up that Eddie finds what she’s been looking for. The exact embodiment of those words she heard. Fuzzy and little and squishy (and neon pink!).

Eddie still has obstacles to overcome after that, but with the help her shopkeeper friends’ tokens, she does overcome them. Eddie discovers that she is good at something: finding an awesome gift for her mom.

That Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy and Eddie. They are the heart of this book. And this book has a lot of electric pink heart!

Big thanks to Enchanted Lion Books for those first three images!

This is a book that cries out for a craft. A wonderful fluffy little squishy for your very own! And it turns out hot pink tulle is the perfect material for making one. (If I can make one, that means it’s easy to do too.)

What you need:

A roll of tulle (I found mine at a Joann craft store). Pink!

Two pipe cleaners. Pink!

Construction paper. Pink!

A small pom pom. Pink!

Two googly eyes.

Plus, scissors, fabric glue, tape, and a book. That’s it.

Wrap your tulle around a book (I used the very book!) 20 times. (You can make a smaller fluffball by using a smaller book.)

Slide the oval of tulle off and tie a length of tulle around its middle to make a kind of bow. (Don’t knot it too tightly—you’ll need to be able to stick a pipe cleaner under there later.)

Cut through the rounded parts on each side so the tulle sprays out in all directions, then trim it all around to be a bit more uniform. (You can be messy, which is great. Just be careful as well.) Here’s a tulle pom pom tutorial that may help.

Insert one pipe cleaner into the knotted tulle in the middle of the pom pom. Hook it around and secure it. (Be careful as those pipe cleaner ends are sharp!)

Make the face by cutting a square of pink construction paper and rolling it into a cone; then flatten it. Glue on googly eyes and a pom pom nose. Tape or glue a halved pipe cleaner to the inside of the cone. Insert the other end of the pipe cleaner into the knot of tulle length and secure it carefully so it sticks.

Voila! Wonderful fluffball!

Speaking of pink picture book crafts, you may be interested in my Rude Cakes post.

3 picture books: trisha krauss

3 picture books

08.27.2015

Trisha Krauss is an illustrator who began her career in New York City. She now lives in London where she illustrated her first book for Puffin, Maude the Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton by Lauren Child. This year she wrote and illustrated Charlotte’s Very Own Dress for Random House USA, which will be published in Autumn of 2016. She is currently working on ideas for two more books.

Three books that influenced Trisha Krauss:

1. The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright

One of my favourite books as a child was The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright. When I reread it as an adult I was equally smitten. The pictures throughout the book are black and white photographs and they feature three very unsuspecting characters. Edith is a doll who pines for company until Mr. Bear and Little Bear come to her rescue. Her soft felt features serve almost as a blank canvas in which the author tells this rather melancholic and beautifully timed tale. The mystery and glamour of the settings breath air into this Lenci doll and make her an unforgettable and slightly naughty character. The image of Edith holding Little Bear’s hand while facing Brooklyn Bridge in the fog is breathtakingly poignant. Who would have known that this little doll could still conjure up so much feeling in the heart of this grown up girl?

2. Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Bernard Waber

If I could have married Lyle, Lyle Crocodile I would have. He has all the qualities that I love in a person. Above all he is fun and good-hearted. Unfortunately he is a crocodile, a fictional character at that, and I am already married. I love him for life regardless. Lyle has no idea that he is different, largely because the Primm family on East 88th Street treat him like part of the family. He cannot for the life of him understand why Loretta, the neighbour’s cat, takes issue with the mere sight of him and desperately tries to win her over. The story takes you from a brownstone in New York to the park and various places in the city. Ultimately Lyle goes to a big department store with Mrs. Primm, handbag tucked under her arm, and a series of wonderfully silly events take place. The beautiful, inky illustrations in this book gave me my first love for a crocodile and for New York City. Thank you Mr. Waber for Lyle, Lyle Crocodile.

3. Wild by Emily Hughes

I could list another 10 books that my mother read to me as my all time favourites but this book, Wild, has stopped me in my tracks. It is simply splendid. The illustrations have a sweeping Mary Blair inspired magnificence to them. There is also a retro Golden Book feel to the wild animals illustrated on uncoated paper with an ink-saturated paper smell. As an illustrator, I am in awe of the artistry of the illustrations. As an author, I am impressed with the simple text backed up by beautifully rendered art. The main character is unnamed in the book and she has crazy, expressive, enormous eyes. There are twigs and dried leaves in her tangled hair and she is naked throughout the book until “They” try to tame her. Emily Hughes found her character and went wild with her. And she is right, “You cannot tame something so happily wild”…

You may be interested in my post on Maude, The Not-So-Noticeable Shrimpton, illustrated by Trisha Krauss. It’s a favorite from the archives!

a pair of girl power picture books

picture books for pairing

08.25.2015

Today I’m pairing two picture books with strong girl characters—one mechanic and one ninja-in-training.

Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt (2015).

The rhyme really shines in this girl power book. It’s a Cinderella retelling of a character who dreams, not of a prince, but of fixing rockets. Yes!

Click image(s) to enlarge.

No gown for her, but a bejeweled space suit and sonic socket wrench. And a mouse named Murgatroyd. Yes, again!

In the end, she does win the space prince’s admiration, but it’s by showing she can fix his ship. And the happy ending doesn’t involve wedding bells. Instead, the resolution is summed up in my favorite line of the book:

“She thought this over carefully.

Her family watched in panic.

‘I’m far too young for marriage,

but I’ll be your chief mechanic!'”

Thanks to Chronicle Books for images!

Little Kunoichi: The Ninja Girl by Sanae Ishida (2015).

The artwork in this one is what really gets me. Those watercolors are so sweet, dainty, and colorful; I want to live in this book! The illustrations match the whimsy of this story as well as its message of fun without rigidity or perfection.

Little Kunoichi goes to a secret ninja school but she is not a very good ninja (yet!). She meets a little boy who attends a secret samurai school and together they get better at their respective skills in order to wow everyone at the island festival. How do they do that? Practice.

Practice is really the message of this book. Referred to here as shugyo, these two characters become friends and spur each other in their “training like crazy.”

This kind of heroine is so relatable because she’s not perfect but is persistent (which is more important). She’s also not someone who goes it alone, but who learns from others and has a close friend—all great qualities. Plus, I mean, she’s training to be a ninja. Sooooo, there’s that.

Thanks to Little Bigfoot for images!

You might also be interested in my post on Rosie Revere, Engineer.