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Así escapó Erika María “N”, mujer que mató a su nuera, exreina de belleza – YouTube Víctor Manuel: “Me salgo poco del guion y cuando lo hago, Ana salta como un resorte … Margaret Qualley, de musa de Tarantino a icono de la belleza oscura: “Mi nuevo personaje … Caso Carolina Flores: Revelan una supuesta carta de suegra acusada de asesinar a … – Univision Leandra Medine Cohen nos revela sus secretos de belleza (y los esenciales de su neceser)

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Librarian’s Quest

Librarian's Quest Noticias

It Spoke Volumes For Her

It Spoke Volumes For Her

One of many things history teaches us is the power of a single individual to make a significant impact.  This effect can ripple through a community, a state, a region, a country or the entire world.  It can be damaging or beneficial.  It can be temporary or lasting.
Some names are more well-known than others; people like
Elvis Presley
,
Pura Belpre
,
Stan Lee
,
John Lewis
,
Zora Neale Hurston
or
Greta Thunberg
.
Even if we think we know all we need to know about these individuals and their accomplishments, through the efforts of authors and illustrators collaborating on biographical picture books, we learn more.  The value of the work of these authors and illustrators cannot be stressed enough, especially when they introduce people who are unfamiliar to us.
For whatever reason these individuals are lesser known (to me), they did contribute to the betterment of life for residents on this planet.  How much did we know about
Todd Bol
,
Ben Shahn
,
Teresa Carreno
,
Mary Walker
,
Helen Martini
or
Jadav Payeng
before we read outstanding picture book biographies about them?  Their achievements are inspirational, far-reaching and enduring.
Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement
(
A Paula Wiseman Book
, an imprint of
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
, January 10, 2023) written by Sandra Neil Wallace with illustrations by Bryan Collier is a book vital to any discourse on the history of the Civil Rights Movement.  Although, Diane Nash was not given the same platform as her male counterparts at the same time, she was and is a woman powered by and empowered by love.
You arrive in the spring of 1938 on the South Side, when
Chicago’s leaves unfurl, emerald green like your baby girl eyes.
CELEBRATION, JUBILATION.
Your parents baptize beautiful,
honey-brown you,
Diane Judith Nash.
For the first four years of her life, she lives in a home her parents fill with love until World War II comes.  With her father in the army and her mother working all day, Grandmother Bolton comes from Tennessee to embrace this child in her special kind of affection.  When she attends high school, love sustains her as classmates from a variety of ethnic backgrounds sit around Diane.  It is not until she goes to Tennessee to stay with Grandmother Bolton to attend college that segregation is blatantly on display.
Signs in Nashville say
WHITES ONLY
and
COLORED ONLY.
It is not right to not share a drinking fountain or a school or a lunch counter.  Diane Judith Nash, raised in love, knows something must be done but she refers to not get arrested. She and other students learn and practice peaceful persistence in church before classes.
They calmly sit at lunch counters and their numbers grow through the winter months of February and March.  In April, Diane is ignited by an act of violence; she silently leads six thousand souls in a march to meet Mayor Ben West to desegregate the lunch counters in Nashville. Victory is theirs. Th…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

In Every Season There Is . . .

In Every Season There Is . . .

If I had a dime, no, a penny, for every time my dad said
actions speak louder than words
,
Forbes
would have me on their billionaires list.  He was a doer of the highest order.  For him, every belief, emotion, and statement, and even those things unsaid, were backed by noticeable efforts.
When I read
In Every Life
(
Beach Lane Books
,
an imprint of
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
, February 07, 2023) written and illustrated by Marla Frazee for the first time, it was as if my dad was looking over my shoulder.  When I read it a second time, it was as if every illustration was a testament to something I had heard over and over and over until it became a part of me.  It is one thing to read or hear words, but when those words are made visible, their truth is revealed.  This is what Marla Frazee gives to readers with this book.
In every birth,
blessed is the wonder.
This is the first of seven declarative sentences.  Each sentence speaks to a different experience in human life.  Some are more readily seen than others like a smile.  Some happen for a few seconds like coming face to face with an animal in the wild, but are captured forever in our memories.
We read of goals brought to fruition.  We read of mourning eased with solace.  We read of the many forms of love and how deeply those loves can leave a mark on our lives.
Most of all, these words ask us to embrace our lives, enjoying all they bring to us.  They ask us to be grateful for the happiness and for the heartbreak.  These distinct words and what we find in each one makes us fully human.
On the verso, beneath the dedication,
Marla Frazee
addresses how this book began to form in her mind.  She was attending a church service and listening to
a call-and-response version of a Jewish baby-naming blessing
.
This was in 1998.
Her text for this book begins with the same two words.  After the comma are the same three words for each sentence. In my mind, Marla Frazee has sought to redefine those seven words in the beginning of the blessing by reminding readers of an extraordinary or uncommon meaning embedded in each one.
There have only been a few times in my life when I’ve been hiking in the forest, strolling down a beach, or sailing on the water and witnessed sunlight shooting rays through the trees or clouds.  It does not last, but seems to have a spirituality attached to it.  When you see this on the front of the open dust jacket, you realize a special moment is being depicted.  This moving glimpse of time featuring three generations is universal in its appeal.  In the colors of the leaves on the trees, Marla Frazee gives us hints of the passing of seasons.  The palette for the title text is just the beginning of the marvelous artwork we find in the interior of this title.  It is varnished and raised to the touch.
On the other side of the spine, on the back, is a small vignette surrounded by white space.  It is one of the images for the word…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Wisdom At Every Age

Wisdom At Every Age

To be guided by the belief that we are all students and teachers is to embrace learning every single day.  On the wall under the windows in my library office, there was a banner voicing this conviction.  Students and those younger than us, need to know adults, teachers, or mentors value their opinions.  They need to know we are learning for and with them.  And if they say something that astounds us, praise their insight, their thinking, and their wit.
There is something exceptionally beautiful about the relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild.  The one is young enough to appreciate the wisdom in the elder and the elder is old enough to welcome the wisdom of the youth.  This mutual affection and respect is lovingly presented in
Just Like Grandma
(
Heartdrum
, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers
, January 24, 2023) written by debut picture book author Kim Rogers with illustrations by Julie Flett.
On the steps of a house at the end of the street,
Becca watches
Grandma bead and bead
buckskin moccasins.
When Becca asks her grandmother if she can try, she hands her the tools she needs.  The two of them bead side-by-side until Grandpa says dinner is ready.  Next, Becca watches Grandma dancing barefoot in the backyard outside the house at the end of the street.
Becca leaves the house and joins her grandmother.  The two spin until dinner is ready.  Tonight Grandpa has made fried chicken.
When Becca sees what her grandmother can create with paint, she
wants to be
just like Grandma
.
Together they work on the canvas until day’s end.  What will Grandpa serve for dinner tonight?  Watching her Grandma win the grand prize for dancing the Fancy Shawl Dance at the powwow, Becca’s heart soars.  During another portion of the event, they dance together until Grandpa signals their dinner is ready.
Back home, Grandma watches Becca.  She joins her outside because she wants to be like Becca.  The next day, the grandparents wait and then celebrate with Becca.  As the narrative closes, a grandchild is grateful for her grandparents, and Grandma perceives the precious gift she has in Becca.
Author
Kim Rogers
uses the storyteller’s gift of repetition masterfully, fashioning a rhythm which reaches out and wraps around readers.  She calls us back to the house and its description repeatedly. Each time Becca sees Grandma doing something she wishes to replicate, the same words are used.  Each of these shared experiences is followed by Grandpa inviting them to eat a different meal for dinner, even at the powwow.  When Grandma surprises Becca and wants to be like her, the narrative takes on an expanded cadence.  Everything is tied together superbly by the duo’s musings at the end.  Here is a passage.
Becca sits down next to
Grandma and her pretty palette.
Let me try,
she says.
Grandma shows her brushstrokes
on the textured canvas.
Together they paint the most spectacular sunrise
anyone has ever painted,
until the sun dips below the tr…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Returning Home

Returning Home

Wherever we go or whether our absence is planned or unforeseen, we feel the same.  Regardless if hours or weeks pass, when we enter a feeling of welcome washes over us.  It is as if everything is as it should be.  As the now famous words were spoken in the summer of 1939,
There’s no place like home.  There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.
It seems that many of the living beings who share this planet with us, either through instinct or natural progression, prefer to reside in a familiar habitat.  When they are displaced, they seek to return if they are able.
Destiny Finds Her Way
: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wild
(
National Geographic
, February 07, 2023) written by Margarita Engle with photographs by Sam Trull is a true story filled with heart and hope.
The tropical rainforest of Costa Rica
echoed with music from colorful birds,
the
eee, eee, eee
of darting squirrel monkeys,
boom, boom, boom
from howler monkeys,
chirps and clicks of cicadas, and a whispering
rustle from the wandering breeze
in green treetops.
Injured and alone, a baby sloth cries for help. These cries alert would-be predators.  Fortunately, humans find the sloth, taking her to a scientist.  The scientist is one of two who founded a sloth rescue center.
The tiny sloth is taken home each night to be fed as often as necessary.  All rescued sloths are named.  Destiny’s injured eye does not heal but her appetite is healthy.  Eating guarumo leaves and hibiscus flowers makes her grow.
Climbing is difficult for a sloth with one eye, but Destiny is determined.  She even assists other rescue sloths in their eating to build their strength.  Soon Destiny graduates from
sloth preschool.
She is taken outside to study life in the wild.  She learns to relieve herself by doing the
poop dance
.
She becomes acquainted with the rainforest animals, their sounds, and the smells.  Due to the loss of one eye, her other senses are stronger.  She slowly moves and climbs from tree to tree.  One day, a year later, her weight is heavy enough for her to be released into the wild.  She wears a tracking collar, so the rescue people and the volunteers can monitor her and keep her safe.  To the top she climbs, toward a life she is meant to live.
Take a moment.  Go back and read the first sentence in this title, quoted above and written by
Margarita Engle
.  This author has mastered the ability to take readers into her narrative with her sensory descriptions.  We experience the assistance received by Destiny.  We experience her growth, her adaptations, and the exhilaration of her delivery into the wild.  Through her personal research at
The Sloth Institute
, Margarita Engle expertly adds facts to this nonfiction story.  Here is a passage.
Smells were fascinating, too.
Hot, moist air rich with savory leaves
and fragrant flowers.
The stink of a tamandua
and the stench of a porcupine.
With the exception of only a few photographs as noted at the close of the boo…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Get Lost And Found In A . . .

Get Lost And Found In A . . .

It happens to all of us regardless of the length.  When the last word is read and the cover is closed, we look up.  For a few moments, we are confused as to where and when we are.  We are still lost in a story, a story other than our real lives.  Not only are we still part of the world within those pages, but we come away with having found something.  It may be something we have misplaced or misunderstood or something fresh and new.
This is the gift of a book, given to us again and again whenever the cover is opened.  Authored by Grace Lin and Kate Messner with illustrations by Grace Lin,
Once Upon a Book
(
Little, Brown And Company
, February 07, 2023) is a layered narrative with hidden references to other titles and different cultures. It is a story of longing and belonging.
Alice was tired of heavy sweaters and thick
socks and staying inside with nothing to do
.
As she grumpily walked away from her mother, wishing to be away from the constant chilly and cloudy weather, she noticed a book on the floor. Its pages gently flipped in the air.  Reading it aloud prompted the birds in the illustration to invite her into the book.
When Alice stepped into the book, the book she was reading appeared there, too.  The warm air and the birds as playmates suited Alice perfectly. until it started to rain.  Using the book like an umbrella, Alice continued reading and wished for somewhere dry.
Several camels asked her to join them in the desert.  Riding on a camel through the desert was grand until a dust storm began.  Alice did not stop reading.  What she read next encouraged the inhabitants to welcome her into their world.  Away she went.
Two more times, Alice was not quite as satisfied as she believed she would be in a new and distinctive setting.  With her final wish, she read words describing a place memorable and comfortable to her.  A voice she had heard her entire life said,
«Turn the page.»
What do you think Alice did?
Authors
Grace Lin
and
Kate Messner
have penned an imaginative, immersive and original circle story.  They have masterfully used classic storytelling elements.  The places Alice visits are enticingly descriptive, appealing to the reader’s senses.  Each time Alice reads from the book, the inhabitant (s) of that place request she joins them.  This is followed by the same reply from Alice.  Now at a new setting, she continues to read until something specific interrupts her satisfaction.  This repetition fashions a participatory rhythm. We can’t wait to read where Alice will venture next!  The blend of text from Alice’s book, her commentary, and the words of the beings inside the book take readers on a remarkable journey.  Here is a passage.
«I wish I were someplace that wasn’t so
cramped and crowded.
» Then Alice read,
So the girl went to a place of wide-open blue,
where she would be boundless and free.
«That sounds like our home,
»
said the clouds.
«Turn the page
and come in . . .
»
The open dust j…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

To Remember

To Remember

My one grandparent I knew, my dad, and my mom were mentally and physically great before a heart quit beating, ALS took over, and old age (94) claimed each one respectively.  For the last few years of her life, my mother resided in assisted living.  When I shared a meal with her and other residents in the dining room, the occupants at our table would be deep in conversation when one would suddenly pause.  You could see by the look on their face, they were desperately trying to recall a word or a thought.  It was utterly heartbreaking to watch and experience this with them.
The loss of memory through the disease of Alzheimer’s is particularly difficult to see happen to those we love.  This disease is relentless and can affect people at different ages, young or old.
Never Forget Eleanor
(
Harper
, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers
, February 14, 2023) written by Jason June with pictures by Loren Long explores memory loss through the affectionate bond between a grandson and his grandmother.  For as long as you can, you will remember this tender story about the power of words.
E
lijah loved doing crossword puzzles with his
grandma Eleanor.  She always seemed to know
every word in the dictionary.
Elijah read aloud the clue and Eleanor knew the answer almost before he finished.  There wasn’t a word she couldn’t spell or understand.  The best thing about her gift with words was the stories Grandma Eleanor would tell Elijah.
On Saturdays, Grandma Eleanor would hold special
story sessions.
Everyone in town would come to listen.  Can you guess which one was Elijah’s favorite?
When Elijah and Grandma Eleanor walked around town, she knew everyone’s faces.  She believed each face held a tale.  They called her
«Never Forget Eleanor.»
One day Elijah noticed his grandmother couldn’t recall an answer to his clue or even remember the clue.  One Saturday she forgot about
story sessions.
The next Saturday Grandma Eleanor was missing for the town tale telling.  Elijah looked everywhere for her.  He thought and thought about how to find her.
He remembered their crossword puzzle fun, their walks throughout town and meeting the individuals whose faces she always knew, and her Saturday
story sessions.
That was when an idea came to Elijah.  He knew how to find and assist his grandmother.  He had listened.  He had learned.  It was all about words and love and the help of those who named her
«Never Forget Eleanor.»
From the first page of words written by
Jason June
, the genuine affection shared by Elijah and Eleanor is clearly present.  Their conversations are like those between the best of friends as are their walks in the community and their wonderful Saturdays.  The manner in which this story is told allows readers along with Elijah to understand the true beauty of Grandma Eleanor.  She leads by example, embracing the best things in others and raising them up through her words.  Here is a sentence.
As she spoke, Elijah felt like his grandmot…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Bright Light, Night Light

Bright Light, Night Light

As those of us sharing our lives with canine companions often say, one of the many benefits is being outdoors to witness some extraordinary phenomenon.  Very early on a November morning this past year, my furry friend and I were coming to a point in our walk where there is a break in a hedge along the shore of a large lake.  This break allows you to see the lake, the north and east shore and the horizon.  There was a front clouding and hanging in the northeastern sky.
Suddenly, a large fiery ball, with a hint of green color, with an equally fiery tail broke from under that front and dropped into the lake.  It had to have been a falling star, but that close to the horizon it looked huge.  To say I was stunned is an understatement.  Not for the first and certainly not for the last time, I wish we could take pictures with our eyes.
In those moments when we remember to look up, especially at night, the sky holds infinite wonders.  In 1900 a girl guided by her curiosity was born.  We learn of her accomplishments in
The Fire of Stars
: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of
(
Chronicle Books
,
February 07,
2023) written by Kirsten W. Larson with illustrations by Katherine Roy.  When you read the words in this narrative and gaze at the artwork, it is as if the magic of a star-studded sky has come to earth and you are holding it in your hands.
Cecilia kicks and cries.
Until her mother
sets her down
so Cecilia can feel with her own tiny toes
the cold and crackly snow,
which isn’t soft and warm like she expected.
As she grows up, Cecilia is often found outdoors exploring nearby gardens and their inhabitants.  One day, she discovers how orchards lure bees into carrying pollen from place to place.  This fascination with finding the truth makes her feel truly alive.
Unfortunately, the family leaves the country for the city of London so Cecilia’s brother can attend a more appropriate school.  The school Cecilia has to attend is more like a prison than what she desires.  She finds solace in a chemistry lab at the school (not meant for her) and science books at home.  She has found her niche.
A Miss Dalglish, a teacher of science, comes to her school and the two become friends.  Before she becomes too sick to teach, she gives Cecilia a book about astronomy.  Still encouraged through correspondence by her teacher’s support, Cecilia receives a scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge.  After hearing a renowned astronomer speak, she changes her field of studies.
Science degree in hand, Cecilia leaves for the United States.  At Harvard her heart’s and mind’s desire is to discover the composition of stars.  Her observations and calculations are still not giving her answers and she is required to submit her research results to the Observatory director.  Then, like the day she discovered snow was not soft and warm, Cecilia has an explanation.  She is twenty-five years old!
Readers wil…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Both Are Needed

Both Are Needed

My best friend has four legs with four paws, shiny chocolate brown fur and a sense of hearing that can differentiate between the sound of the opening of the refrigerator fruit, vegetable, or cheese drawers.  When expressing joy she zooms like a roadrunner in the house or yard, leaps like a gazelle through snow drifts, and jumps straight up in the air off her four paws.  She is not much of a conversationalist, but she knows I know what every sigh, whimper, bark, and pointed look means.
In moments of quiet and aloneness, I have witnessed some remarkable occurrences, but nothing is as welcome as the sound of her claws clicking on tile or wood floors to find me or the jingle of her collar tags as she walks or runs next to me. In
Sometimes It’s Nice To Be Alone
(
Neal Porter Books
,
Holiday House
, February 14, 2023) written by Amy Hest with illustrations by Philip Stead readers are soothed by the contentment of being alone and awakened to the joy of shared experiences.  Rhythmic text presents the solace found in ordinary activities but also elevates those through imagination coupled with exquisite artwork.
Sometimes it’s nice to
be alone.
Just you, eating your
cookie, alone.
On the other hand if unexpectedly a friend appears, eating a cookie with them is really quite nice.  What if you happen to be reading a book alone and suddenly you are not alone?  It is a different feeling to be reading a book with a friend there.  It is as if you both have stepped into the pages of the story.
Do you remember days when it is just you outside tumbling on the grass, somersaulting to your heart’s content?  Then a voice asks to tumble with you.  You and your friend are now a team of tumblers.
Head down and legs and feet pumping, you might be bicycling up, up and up hills all alone. With arms stretched out and feet kicking, you might be dancing among a whirlwind of colorful leaves in the autumn all alone.  When a friend is with you, the downward slope is more thrilling and the fall frolic is more exhilarating.
Doing something alone is one kind of special.  Doing the same thing with a friend is another kind of wonderful.  What will you do alone next?
The writing in this book by
Amy Hest
is marvelous.  The title text begins each lyrical portion.  This is followed by a description each time of what the child is doing.  We then read the question about the appearance of a friend.  Each reply to this question begins with the same seven words.  This establishes a cadence and participatory invitation to readers.
The mastery of this writing is that certain words are altered as the narrative progresses.  The descriptions become more vivid and sensory.  Here is a passage.
Just you, alone, on a
seaside walk, making
big footprints, and heel
and toe prints, at the
edge of the choppy sea.
The pictorial interpretation of the text by artist
Philip Stead
is superb.  We are introduced to his limited color palette on the open dust jacket.  His use of  primary…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Just Reach Out

Just Reach Out

The thing about being outdoors is that in a matter of minutes something wild can happen.  We are surrounded by the possibility of sensory situations.  We can either seize these moments when they appear or dread the prospect of this occurrence.
The same can be said of any situation in which we find ourselves, regardless of where we are.  We might be nervous or worried, but once we are in that moment, if we are doing something we love, everything and everyone else disappears.  That passion we hold close to our hearts is released.
Something Wild
(
Nancy Paulsen Books
, an imprint of
Penguin Random House
, February 28, 2023) written and illustrated by Molly Ruttan connects to that apprehension all of us feel at times.  It shows us how that apprehension is transformed into something unexpectedly marvelous.
Ever since she was small, Hannah
loved to play her violin.
To hear the music she made, sent Hannah’s heart soaring.  But . . . Hannah did not want to play her violin in front of anyone else.  The day of her recital Hannah was so afraid to stand on a stage with an audience spread before, her heart’s desire was for
something wild
to appear and save her.
Before she even left the house, in her mind’s eye, she dreamed a group of special someone’s would sweep in on a breeze and steal her recital clothing.  Or perhaps, a colony of rabbits would leap through a hole in the floor near the kitchen and whisk away her violin.  You cannot be in a recital without a violin.
Unfortunately, neither of those things happened.  On the way to the recital with her family, Hannah kept wishing.  Nothing rose from the watery fountain either.
Now behind the curtain at the recital, Hannah was next.  On the stage, her fear blossomed.  Hannah and her violin were a perfect match. (When you love something, sometimes that love guides you.)  And in that moment, every draw of the bow on strings
since she was small
created a remarkable memory.
First, author
Molly Ruttan
helps us to understand Hannah’s love of making music on her violin.  It is a lifelong passion.  Then, with adept descriptions, she reveals her true fear of playing on stage.  Using a series of repetitive phrases, we experience her lively imagination and the subsequent disappointment three times.  This cadence binds us in a universal experience with Hannah.  We identify deeply with her.  This leads us to rejoicing at the exuberant ending.  Here is a passage.
It was almost time to leave.
Every time Hannah thought about
being on stage, her stomach lurched!
She felt a little queasy.
If only something wild would happen . . .
How can you look at the open and matching dust jacket and book case and not smile?  The child playing her violin is joyful amid creatures from the wild.  They look as if they are finding pleasure in her music.  Next, readers will be wondering how a dolphin, rabbit and blue birds are together as this girl shines under a spotlight.
To the left of the spine, on the back, curls o…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Weathering The Weather

Weathering The Weather

Sometimes the beginning is as subtle as a change in the air.  It feels a bit charged or heavier or both.  The breeze gets a bit stronger.  Looking skyward, the shape of clouds and their color is quickly transforming.  A disturbance is threatening.
Birds gather near the shore or in trees.  In the distance, rumbling begins as the sky darkens.  Writer Laura Purdie Salas and artist Elly MacKay collaborate to vividly portray this usually sudden shift in the weather in
Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story Of A Thunderstorm
(
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
, February 28, 2023).
Sunny day sits warm and dry.
No wind,
no rain,
no stormy sky.
Morning’s calm.
Outside is still.
A blue forever day,
until . . .
Without us being aware, warmer air is moving upward toward the cooler clouds.  They start to fill and get larger, gathering overhead.  In the distance loud sounds partner with gray skies and blowing winds.  Spears of light fork downward in the distance.
Rumbles roll through the air, shattering any remaining silence.  Rain begins to drop, slow at first, then faster.  The breeze is now a howling wind.  The sounds are nearly deafening.
Shelter is sought and shelter is found.  Children snuggle inside, safe from the tumult.  The thunder shakes the walls, the lightning flashes on and off, the wind sings like a banshee, and the rain pounds on the windows.
Then, after what seems like minutes (or sometimes longer), the thunderstorm moves to cast its chaos on another place.  Those on the inside slowly venture to the outside, savoring the clear air, the rain-washed spaces and calming breaths of air.  Everything feels new.  Let’s play!
The writing, the poetry, of
Laura Purdie Salas
has entertained and educated us for more than two decades.  In this title her rousing rhythms woven with words move through the pages like a thunderstorm.  They begin and end with a soothing quiet, coming to a crescendo in the center with the title words repeated three different times.  Laura Purdie Salas uses poetic techniques, rhyme, metaphor, and alliteration, like a master.  Here is a passage.
Swollen clouds begin to drain,
spilling
splashing,
chilling
rain.
In looking at the open and matching dust jacket and book case, readers feel the full force of the thunderstorm on the front, right side.  Trees bend in the wind and rain diagonally cuts across the view.  Dark clouds release roaring thunder and jagged lightning. We wonder how the residents of the hilly island are surviving.
To the left of the spine, on the back, we see the left side of the island in a closer view as the storm lessens and moves away.  The breeze is still brisk, but the sky is beginning to lighten.  The land seems to be holding its breath.
On the opening endpapers, we are given a panoramic perspective of the top of the island.  Three children play with a red ball.  The land, trees, shrubs, and homes are kissed with morning sunlight.  Bathed in deeper hues of golden yellow, the same scene shows…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

There’s Magic In The Melody

There’s Magic In The Melody

We are time travelers when notes from a certain song reach our ears.  Those notes take us back to people, places, and events.  We remember where we were, who we were with, and how those songs were sung or played for us.  In this respect, music is magic.  It is everywhere if we listen.
It whistles through the masts of «on the hard» sailboats in winter.  It splashes on the sandy shore when waves roll across the lake.  It floats from branch to branch when chickadees and cardinals call to each other in the morning.  For this reason, music is a bridge, too, between us and what surrounds us daily as well as to our past.
Bravo, Little Bird!
(
A Paula Wiseman Book
,
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
, February 21, 2023) written by Annie Silvestro with artwork by Ramona Kaulitzki is the heartwarming story of an old man and the bond his music makes with a bird.  Their relationship transcends death in a truly beautiful tribute to the power of music, family, and friendship.
The old man and his wife lived high on a hill.  Each
day, notes from the old man’s piano drifted out the
window, down the hill, and into the valley below.
A small bird, Little Bird, heard every note.  Those notes lead her from the valley to the old man’s window.  She built her nest outside that window.  Soon Little Bird joined the old man in making music.  The old man exclaimed,
Bravo, Little Bird!
Each day Little Bird would serenade the old man playing on his piano as the old woman painted next to her husband.  Before long, a boy, the couple’s grandson, came for a visit.  When introduced to him, Little Bird sang a celebratory tune.
The house on the hill was filled with melodies as the grandson learned everything he could about making music from his grandfather. Little Bird warbled and the old woman hummed along.  Where do you think all this music went?  It whirled around on currents of air, winding down to the valley.
During this time, Little Bird had three babies, the boy grew bigger, and the old man grew older.  The boy played the piano in his grandfather’s place as Little Bird and her babies sang.  One morning there was no music except for a single sorrow-filled note by Little Bird.  Little Bird, her babies, the boy and his grandmother simply did not have the heart for making music.
Down in the valley, a cardinal missed the music.  Traveling to the hilltop, the cardinal heard from Little Bird about what happened.  Curious from this encounter, Little Bird flew to the valley.  What she heard there, gave her an idea.  In the evening, the boy and his grandmother stepped outside, hearing a symphony of sound, all the music, all the songs, previously played by the old man.  It was enchanting!  (Who do you think made that music?)
Like your favorite pleasant place or cozy comforter, the words in this story penned by
Annie Silvestro
wrap around you and send your soul soaring. She uses alliterative word combinations and repeating phrases to fashion…

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Taking A Moment

Taking A Moment

Sometimes, we forget to look beyond ourselves.  We fail to seek what might be hidden from our immediate viewpoint.  In these situations, one of the best alternatives is to step outside and embrace what the outdoors might offer.  If you are fortunate, take your canine companion with you.  They give new meaning to a
walk on the wild side
with all their senses on high alert.
More times than not, they suddenly stop.  It’s in these moments our outlook shifts.  We see, hear, or smell something we might otherwise miss.
Beneath
(
Little, Brown and Company
,
January 17, 2023) written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld is about looking with new eyes.  It is about opening up our minds and hearts in order to understand the wholeness of someone or something.  This is when we are our best selves.  This is when life is richer and larger.
Finn was in a horrible mood.
Grandpa wanted to talk about it.
When you are in a horrible mood, talking is the last thing you want to do, and Finn was no different.  Grandpa suggested they take a walk.  Finn agreed, reluctantly, as long as staying under the quilt was an option.
This is when Grandpa suggested that even though Finn was hidden, he would remember what he could not see.  Walking among the trees, Finn listened as Grandpa explained there was as much underground as there was above ground.
It was the same for a boat they saw floating on the calm water.  What was moving underneath that boat?  At times, we can make a guess as to what we cannot see, but sometimes we wonder what is being seen, heard or smelled by another animal.  Why are they doing what they are doing?  Why is the fox’s nose pointed toward a hole in the ground?
What we see on the outside is only a portion of what might be happening on the inside.  This is true for plants, animals, and humans.  (Do you think it’s true for other things like the moon, planets, and stars?)  Last season’s leaves are dying, but beneath them new shoots are sprouting.  As daylight turns to dusk and the moon rises, Grandpa offers his final
beneath
words.  We know Finn tucks these away like the treasure they are because of the reply given.
As you read these words penned by
Cori Doerrfeld
, one of the first things you think of is how wonderful it would be to have walked with Finn and Grandpa.  And then, with gratitude, you realize that every time you open the covers of this book, you are there with them on that walk.  We can read their heartfelt and sincere conversations, ponder what they are saying, and wonder about all the
beneaths
in our world.
With the exception of a few sentences, this entire story is told in dialogue.  This helps readers to connect with Grandpa and Finn on a personal level.  Here is a passage.
«And people?» Finn wanted to know.
(page turn)
«Of course!» Grandpa answered.
«Everyone is more than what you see.
«Beneath appearances
are experiences.
. . .
Using
digital paint
, Cori Doerrfeld created the images for this title beginning with t…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Maternal Marvels

Maternal Marvels

With mothers, the best approach is to expect the unexpected, especially concerning their offspring.  Mothers are a study in contrasts.  They may be calm one minute as nurturers and fierce in the next moment as protectors.  They may choose to ignore you or chase you depending on the threat you pose.  They know when to keep their children close and when to set them free.
They are master pretenders, architects, providers, healers, and transporters.  Authors Heather Lang and Jamie Harper have collaborated to provide readers with the inside scoop on marvelous mothers in
Supermoms!: Animal Heroes
(
Candlewick Press
, March 7, 2023) with artwork by Jamie Harper.  These creatures perform remarkable feats to supply the best possible life for their children for as long as necessary.
Supermoms are everywhere.
Regardless of their species, size, shape or color, mothers are on the job all day and all night.  You’ll be surprised at the design ingenuity groundhog moms employ in housing their young.  An underground bathroom?
Did you know emperor penguin females leave for up to two months to get food for their chicks?  Some mothers like the bearded capuchin monkey even feed other monkey babies that are orphaned.  There’s nothing quite as strange or amazing as how moms transport their littles.  Baby alligators hitch a ride inside their mother’s mouths to the water.
Some mothers move their charges repeatedly to keep them safe.  There is no use giving a predator a head’s up by staying in the same place.  Other moms along with female family members can build a wall of bodies around a calf to protect them.
BUMS
TOGETHER,
LADIES!
Have you ever seen a bird pretend to have a broken wing to keep enemies away from a nest?
Animal mothers know every day is an opportunity to teach their children to survive and flourish.  Sea sponges are placed on the end of bottlenose dolphins so they can get food from the bottom of the ocean floor without injuring themselves.  You will never guess how many years an orangutan mom teaches their children to get food, select items to use as tools, and to make their beds in the tops of trees.  Supermoms all around the world are everything the word implies.
Authors
Jamie Harper
and
Heather Lang
filled this title with facts and fun.  For each of five supermom specialties, they highlighted at least three animals for a total of eighteen creatures featured.  The fun is added in all the commentary by the youngsters and their mothers shown in speech bubbles.  For example, a red-knobbed hornbill mother uses mud and poop to stuff the entrance to the nest to protect her eggs and chicks.  This is what we read in the commentary.
P. U.!
Some fresh air
would be nice.
Or a fan.
Using traditional and digital collage
Jamie Harper
begins to entertain, engage, and educate readers on the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  Not only do we see the giraffe mom doing what she does best to protect her young, (They really do kick.) b…

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Coming Home . . .

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nuRckrsc2S8

Coming Home . . .

For many of us entering a library, whether it’s for the public, a school or even our personal collections, it supplies us with a sense of homecoming.  In this space, an infinite number of stories are housed.  They enrich and enlarge our imaginations.  Through them we travel into the past, present, and future with greater understanding and compassion.  These stories give us answers to questions while leading us to more discoveries and answers we didn’t even know we desired.  Armed with the truths they provide, our knowledge of our planet and its inhabitants, plant and animal, grows.  Not only does our knowledge grow but so does our admiration for the complexity of intertwined systems functioning every second of every day.
For those of us who have spent most of our adult lives serving patrons of all ages in libraries, we are witness to the remarkable moments when readers are connected to the story they need or want.  We not only listen to them with our minds, but also our hearts.  This is how bridges are built between books and readers.  When that bridge is built, when that connection is forged, something nearly indescribable happens.  We see it in their eyes, their demeanor, and their body posture.  It is joy.  This joy is wonderfully expressed in words by John Schu and in artwork by Lauren Castillo in their first collaboration,
This Is A Story
(
Candlewick Press
, March 14, 2023).  This book shows us the power of story, our stories and the stories of others.
This is a word.
SEA
That word, sea, is then shown on a page, a page within a book.  That book is one of many on a shelf.  It is waiting on one of many shelves in a library.  (We are beginning small and keep seeing a larger view.)  When we step back farther, there are people in a city, a city with that library.
Some of the people in the city are traveling to the library, seeking help, help in finding answers.  That book, one of many on a shelf of many shelves, is given to a child by a librarian.  So begins the reading.  So begins a special connection.
There are other readers here, finding what they need and finding what they want.  In the pages of the books they read, their minds keep stepping back, (like we do in the beginning of this story) enlarging what is known, imagined, and hoped.  Each of these readers have something else, a valuable something else . . . hearts.  Their hearts will increase in their ability to make connections in the books they are reading and in every facet of their lives.
Walking through the doors of a library is walking into a
world of reading.
Like most seeds, this world starts with the tiniest thing and the youngest person.  An early interest is nurtured and encouraged to flourish.  It is nurtured and encouraged to flourish through a story.
With intention author
John Schu
builds his narrative, his poem, from a single word.  He takes us on a journey with that word until the book with that word is placed in the hands of a child by the l…

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To The Trees #2

To The Trees #2

In a movie about a legendary hero and his band of merry men, when under enemy attack one of the patriotic thieves shouts,
To the trees!
The trees were a refuge for them and a more strategic vantage point from which to defend themselves. Around the world for centuries, trees equal life for what they supply humans and an array of plants and animals.  I wonder how often throughout time those same three words were uttered by other humans or in the language of birds taking a sudden turn in flight to roost in treetops or of squirrels racing over grass and scampering up tree trunks?
Small or tall, the size is of no importance.  Standing next to a tree offers, for those open to embracing it, a true sense of solitude and strength.  For most of us, they’ve always been there and hopefully, they always will be.  Two recent publications highlight this almost immortal quality of trees.  In
Maple & Rosemary
(
Neal Porter Books, Holiday House
, February 28, 2023) written by Alison James with illustrations by Jennifer K. Mann readers are witness to a remarkable friendship.  In the best, truest friendships, you are never apart, but entwined forever.
Once there was a tree who was very lonely.
She was a sugar maple, so she was sweet and lovely
.
The evergreens around the sugar maple didn’t talk to her because she was different.  One day, something out of the ordinary happened.  This something climbed into her branches, echoing the maple’s feelings of loneliness.  The tree spoke, wanting to know who this was and if they would be her friend.  Maple the tree met Rosemary the girl.
As the days passed, Rosemary visited her every day after school.  They taught each other what they knew about their worlds.  As Maple’s seeds spun down from her branches, Rosemary planted them.  When Rosemary left, they exchanged the same words.
One day Rosemary didn’t come.  Many seasons passed and Maple was lonely in her absence.  Tiny maples sprouted around Maple, but the familiar creatures walked and flew by her without speaking.
Then, in the autumn one year, a young woman came to Maple.  It was Rosemary.  She was a teacher now at the nearby school.  First, she hung a swing from Maple’s branches.  When Rosemary returned, she brought a group of happy children.  She showed them all the wonders around the tree and they laughed and swung on the swing.
Maple grew bigger and taller.  Rosemary grew older and shorter.  She still visited Maple but now she came alone with her book, reading aloud to the tree.  During one of the last times, we see Rosemary visit Maple, she tells Maple something.  At first Maple is puzzled, then she realizes the meaning of those words and the power of friendship.
Author
Alison James
builds her story on what we know of trees, their endurance and their necessity in the continuance of this planet.  She establishes a parallel between a tree and a human, both experiencing their own forms of aloneness.  Using a careful blend of narrative and di…

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Spreading Sunshine

Spreading Sunshine

By definition, they shelter us from an abundance of rain or sunshine.  They are unique by design to fold together when not in use.  Sometimes, though, depending on the quality of the ribs and fabric, they may falter in their purpose.
There were many days, windy, wet days in spring and autumn, when on the campus of Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where umbrellas failed students scurrying from dorm to class, class to class, class to library, and hopefully to the university center.  It was like living in a wind tunnel.  You would be walking with your umbrella only to have the wind turn it inside out; the ribs breaking like toothpicks.
You would see broken umbrellas stuffed in trash cans, or simply thrown down by frustrated travelers.  If you were fortunate, someone with a sturdier device would offer you protection until you reached your destination.  Most of us gave up buying new umbrellas after the third purchase.  But, quite unexpectedly, these portable canopies will offer us something wildly wonderful when we need it the most.  Let’s see what happens in
The Umbrella
(
Clarion Books
, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers
, March 21, 2023) written by Beth Ferry with artwork by Tom Lichtenheld.
Dreary.
Weary
.
Everyone is tired of rain, day after day.  The grayness of the outside world is seeping into people’s homes, minds, and hearts.  Will it ever stop raining?
One small child ventures out with their canine companion.  Whatever the weather, dogs need their outside time.  They make it to cover under the awning of a neighborhood store.  This shop is filled with an eclectic assortment of new and old, familiar and odd items.
Inside one trunk, multiple possibilities are unearthed.  The dog discovers an old, seen-better-days yellow umbrella.  It is free!  As the pair make a mad dash for home in the rainstorm, the umbrella does not survive the wind and rain.  To say the child is disappointed is an understatement, but the duo get cozy in bed for the night.  And it keeps raining . . . for days.
One morning when the child and pup head outside, they are greeted with a huge surprise.  Somethings bloomed where they were planted. A compassionate heart knows what to do with this discovery.
With
Beth Ferry
‘s writing we are privy to the power of a single word.  The first seven words in this story stand alone, followed by a period.  To add to the pacing and the adventures of the pup and child, sometimes words are combined as they move from one point to another.  Then, one word at a time, the narrative continues, taking us on a rhyming romp from gray to glad.  Her use of alliteration is perfect.  Here is a passage.
Dashing.
Splashing.
Pitter-patters.
The selection of shades of purple and yellow throughout the book, as first seen on the open and matching dust jacket and book case, is a wonderful choice.  Complementary and contrasting, they provide depth to each image.  On the right side, we see what the child …

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Early Reader Extravaganza #3

Early Reader Extravaganza #3

Waiting for the next book in a series is far more exciting than waiting for your birthday or a special holiday.  As the saying goes,
a book is a gift you can open again and again.
(attributed to Garrison Keillor)
For early readers, those beings who are feeling the fire of story ignite in new ways, the return of beloved characters is like welcoming home our best friends. We can hardly wait to read about their new adventures and discoveries.  Where will they go?  Who will they meet?  Will their new story make us laugh or cry or think about possibilities or maybe all of those and more?
Early readers and the books written for them are a joy to watch when they connect.  As said in the previous posts,
Early Reader Extravaganza
and
Early Reader Extravaganza #2
, the engaging characters in these stories make lifelong bonds with readers.  These characters stay with us for the rest of our lives.
For those of us who love canine characters, there is no better way to celebrate our shared experiences with them than through the laughter they provide and their special outlook on their lives and our lives. How fortunate we are to have within the past week two releases of the third book in an early reader series featuring dogs we cannot help but love.
Doggo and Pupper Search For Cozy
(
Feiwel and Friends
, an imprint of
Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
,
March 28, 2023) written by Katherine Applegate with illustrations by Charlie Alder is seven chapters of dog and cat logic destined to have readers smiling and laughing out loud before the final sigh at the end.
Chapter One
Bad News
«Bad news,» said Cat.  «The humans
had another idea.»
«Uh-oh,» said Doggo.
«Oh no,» said Pupper.
As Doggo and Pupper question Cat about the bad news, they find out it is not ridiculous hats, bubble baths, fireworks, or vacuum cleaners.  This bad news only affects Cat.  The humans have purchased a new bed for Cat.
While the bed is identical to the previous bed, it lacks one essential property.  It has no cozy.  Cat declares there will be no more sleep for this feline fussbudget.
An outside adventure does not lift Cat’s spirits.  Neither does a discussion on pickiness. When Nap Time rolls around Doggo is ready for a snooze.  Pupper, as you might expect, is not.  Pupper can’t quit talking and wondering about Cat and her bed.
That night during a storm, Pupper is truly glad to have Doggo close.  Cat can not get settled; no place has cozy.  So, guess what?  No one sleeps.  Doggo and Pupper know they have to fix this dilemma.
The next day after clever trickery (humans are gullible) on their parts, Doggo and Pupper go outside to locate the old bed.  Digging in garbage cans is smelly business, but triumphant, or is it?  Sometimes, cozy arrives exactly when it should.
Through a marvelous blend of narrative and dialogue, author
Katherine Applegate
further endears us to these individuals, Doggo, Pupper, and Cat.  Their distinctive personalities are revealed …

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Every Day Is Earth Day #2

https://player.vimeo.com/video/806816713?h=e544302b24

Every Day Is Earth Day #2

On January 6, 2023, in an attempt to provide readers with 2022 publications related to our beautiful planet and its protection prior to the ALA Youth Media Awards, I compiled a post of
seventeen books
, including early readers through middle grade titles.  During the course of 2022 I talked about other climate crisis and earth-friendly books, but these were books I categorize as too-good-too-miss tomes.
I am setting up this post in the same manner as the previous post.  Author, illustrator, and publisher links, when available, are provided.  Social media accounts will be included.  Passages from the books are shown.  Short summaries, observations, are supplied.  If there are other valuable resources about these books, links will be attached.  These six titles are listed in order of release date.
There are warning labels on plastic bags for a reason, usually involving children.  To me, it seems as though our planet is in the same situation.  We are suffocating under an overabundance of plastic.  Titles like
One Earth
by Eileen Spinelli with art by Rogerio Coelho,
Ocean! Waves for All
by Stacy McAnulty with art by David Litchfield and
Washed Ashore: Making Art From Ocean Plastic
written and illustrated by Kelly Crull draw our attention to this dilemma and offer solutions.
The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem And Finding Ways To Fix It
(
Books For Better Earth, Holiday House
, February 21, 2023) written by
Dee Romito
with illustrations by
Ziyue Chen
not only gives us answers but provides us with information about the evolution of this serious issue.  At the end of the book is an author’s note, a list of sources, and more information to be found online, in books and by watching documentaries.  There is an index, too.  At
Penguin Random House
, you can view the endpapers.  At
Maria Marshall
‘s website, you can read about Dee Romito and her work on this book.
Over five thousand years ago, the ancient Sumerians had a problem.
They needed a way to avoid the icky substances in their beverages.  The barley-based drink they brewed was thick, and the undrinkable solids sunk to the bottom.
We feel like time travelers as a fascinating history of the straw is presented.  It began with reeds, hollow grasses.  Over time, different substances were used to fashion a hollow tube.  In South America, they even devised a
filter
on the end of their
«bombilla»
when drinking tea.
Believe it or not, by the 1800s, rye was being used.  Who wants pieces of rye in their drinks?  Marvin Stone is credited with inventing the first paper straw.  Another gentleman, Joseph Friedman, invented the bendable straw.  As you might imagine, paper was not very durable.  Now plastic enters.
To address this problem, a boy named Milo Cress, when he was nine years old, began a campaign titled
«Be Straw Free»
.  Twelve years later, it is still active.  Other options are offered for readers with straws fashioned from more earth-friendly materials.  The …

Librarian's Quest Noticias

For the Elders . . .,

For the Elders . . .,

At the beginning of this year in an effort to highlight as many wonderful books as possible in posts before the
ALA Youth Media Awards
, I included seven titles under the word
Elder
in the second of three posts for fiction picture books
.
These books focus on relationships between the generations, mainly between grandparents and their grandchildren. They revolve around a generational tradition, the passing of seasons and those with whom we share them, customs and food in different countries, how finding the perfect gift reveals more about the giver than the recipient, activities shared with all kinds of grandparents, the wisdom of grandparents and how it seems magical, and returning joy to a grandparent who needs to remember.
In March and April of this year, two more outstanding books showcasing grandmothers and their grandchildren speak to our collective minds and hearts.  Despite the recent return of winter in the upper Midwest, daffodils, tulips, delphiniums, and peonies are poking through the soil, eager to add color to our landscape.  Parsley, dill, thyme, sage, and chives are thriving in the vegetable and herb gardens.  Author Jordan Scott and artist Sydney Smith have collaborated again to bring us
My Baba’s Garden
(
Neal Porter Books, Holiday House
, March 7, 2023).  Memories of Jordan Scott’s grandmother grace the pages of this book, lovingly lifted in tribute by the luminescent images by Sydney Smith.
My Baba lives in a chicken coop beside a highway.
Her home is near a sulfur mill, a pile of yellow as a testament.  Every morning his father drives the child to Baba’s home.  She does not greet him, but each morning there she is in her kitchen.  She cooks, moving with her own rhythm within the small space.
Every place around the kitchen table is filled with preserved food from her garden.  When Baba brings him breakfast, it is the same each morning.  She does not eat, but if the child should happen to drop any food, she picks it up, kisses it and puts it back in his bowl.  They speak through gestures, a few words, and a shared affection.
If it’s raining when Baba walks with her grandson to school, she moves slowly watching for worms.  She picks them all up and places them in a jar with dirt.  They will find a new home in her garden.  After school, her grandson watches her place them in the dirt of her garden, explaining their purpose to him.
This goes on for years until Baba leaves her chicken coop to live with her grandson and his parents.  A building replaces the chicken coop, but the garden remains, now overgrown without Baba’s care.  Before school, her grandson feeds Baba the same thing each morning.  He has planted some seeds in a pot on her windowsill.  One day when it’s raining, she clasps his hand and draws a familiar line on his palm.  Remembering other rainy days, he runs outside.
Lovely similes are woven into vivid descriptive text by
Jordan Scott
taking readers into his warm remembrances.  Each…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Every Little Bit . . .

Every Little Bit . . .

Each morning Mulan, my canine companion, and I take the same route on our morning walk.  More than half of the route is without sidewalks and when there are sidewalks, we tend to stick to the edge of the roadway due to other walkers, runners, and dogs.  Without fail, there is one driver each day who not only ignores the posted speed limit, but comes so close to us that we have to move off the road or jump aside.  They drive as if their hair is on fire and they are the only person on the planet.
Despite this one soul without regard for other living things, there are multiple drivers who slow down and nod, wave or smile.  Those small acts of kindness when added together have a huge effect on our morning walks.  Those people are used to seeing us and respond accordingly.  I have no idea who they are, but I consider them friends.  The mutual respect we have for each other has established a community of sorts. Today is the book birthday for a title,
One Small Thing
(
Beaming Books
, May 9, 2023) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with artwork by Laura Watkins, which presents the practice of rising above ourselves to assist others.  Every little bit helps and does not go unappreciated.
All the animals in Brightly Wood were
talking about what happened.
During a storm the previous night, lightning struck Raccoon’s home.  All that remains are ashes.  Squirrel, Badger, Beaver, Mouse, and Rabbit are recreating the event in their conversation. In addition to the loss of his home, Raccoon has suffered burns on his feet and his cricket companion is missing.  In the concerned comments made by Raccoon’s friends, readers get a hint at their personalities.
Beaver wonders where Raccoon will live now.  Rabbit hardly knows Raccoon. Mouse is so little and this problem is huge.  Badger, seemingly a curmudgeon, wonders where the
silly cricket
is.  Squirrel is overwhelmed by the sadness of this event.  They all leave for their respective homes except for Badger.  Badger heads to the darkest part of the forest.
Squirrel, Mouse, and Rabbit start on tasks exemplifying their talents.  Beaver knows she excels at home construction, so she works all day to build another home for Raccoon.  As Squirrel sips her tea, she begins to think.  As Mouse hangs herbs from his rafters, he begins to think.  As Rabbit nibbles on honey bread with honey,  a single thought pops into Rabbit’s mind.  The four friends find Raccoon and snuggle inside the new house drinking tea and eating honey bread with honey.  Mouse rubs a balm made from his herbs on Raccoon’s feet.
Where is Badger you ask?  Is Badger lost among the shadows of Brightly Wood?  That thunderstorm created a major loss, but much was found the next day because Beaver, Squirrel, Mouse, Rabbit and Badger decide to do . . .
A bit of a mystery introduces us to this narrative with the first sentence.  Author
Marsha Diane Arnold
has piqued our interest.  She leads us, as she does so often, to examine our heart…

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Oh Happy Day!

Oh Happy Day!

To begin, I wish to apologize for the long lapse in blogging here.  After my May 9, 2023 post about the delightful
One Small Thing
(
Beaming Books
, May 9, 2023) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with artwork by Laura Watkins, my writing mojo took a long vacation.  Major blogger block has been haunting me.  I have a thematic post partially completed honoring five titles.  My stacks of books, especially picture books, are growing.  I have many titles to share with you before the upcoming school year.
Speaking of the upcoming school year, I am thrilled and honored to announce I applied for, was interviewed, and offered the position of Library Specialist at Charlevoix Elementary School. (I was previously their certified school librarian for thirteen years.)  The current posting description allows for structured and unstructured student, classroom, and staff use.  I will be serving the Charlevoix Elementary School students and staff, K-6, for the entire school day, five days a week.
It is my hope to assist and continue to create a vibrant reading community within the school through their library whether patrons are seeking fiction or nonfiction materials in a variety of formats.  It is exciting to be able to work with students and their educators once more.  In accordance with my final words to my students on many of their visits in the past, amid laughter,
Read until your eyeballs fall out,
I am currently reading all six of the hilarious
Pizza and Taco
books by
Stephen Shaskan
, award-winning
Frizzy
by
Claribel A. Ortega
with art by
Rose Bousamra
and I think it’s time I started the
City Spies
series by
James Ponti
.
I just completed
A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon
by
Jilanne Hoffmann
with art by
Eugenia Mello
.  You will be amazed at what you learn about our planet.
I am still reading
Nancy Castaldo
‘s
When The World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water Crisis
.  I have always been careful about how I use water, but now my caution is upgraded.  Personally, I believe this is a must read title.

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Where There’s Wool . . . There’s A Way

Where There’s Wool . . . There’s A Way

Not a day goes by without my furry friend, Mulan, stopping multiple times to wait for another walker, runner, or biker to catch up to us on our daily treks throughout the neighborhood.  She pauses and sits several times along the sidewalks surrounding the elementary school where I work. It does not matter whether school is in session or not.  She is listening for the sound of children.
She has been this way since she was a puppy.  Assessing her surroundings and looking for people to greet or welcome into our «pack» is a huge part of her personality.  She is one of the most caring dogs to be a part of my life.  It is not that my three other Labradors were not people-loving, but Mulan will not budge until she is certain all is well.
It seems that Mulan is not alone in her desire to care for others.  In Lita Judge’s newest title,
Don’t Worry, Wuddles
(
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
, an imprint of
Simon & Schuster
, September 26, 2023), an exuberant duckling is determined to provide for the other creatures on the farm.  The yellow bundle of fluff takes one look at the wooly, wooly sheep, Wuddles, and offers the perfect proposal for an impending problem.
Wuddles, are you asleep?
Wuddles, eyelids barely open, is not asleep, but trying to nap. The duckling is concerned because snow is coming.  Would Wuddles share a bit of wool so the duckling can have a scarf?
The now scarf-wearing duckling notices Rooster is not protected from the approaching winter weather.  Oh!  Rooster needs a hat!  The appropriate amount of wool is taken from Wuddles as the title phrase is uttered.  Wuddles has so much wool, surely the amount needed for a scarf and hat will not be missed.
Eyes moving around the inside of the barn, the duckling comments about the lack of fur on Rabbit’s ears.  Earmuffs are the best garb Rabbit can use.  Duckling assures Wuddles everything is under control and each creature will be ready for the upcoming chilly temperatures.
Let’s see there’s Goat, Goose, Dog, Cow . . . Cow!?  No, Cow is huge and hairy.  There is a passel of Piggies, though.  Running around like an spirited, single-minded knitter, Duckling fashions an array of winter attire.  Looking out the window, a satisfied duckling sees the snow.  In the next second an utter disaster is discovered.  Again, the clever clothier has a solution.  Two universal words are uttered.
When you read this story penned by
Lita Judge
, you can feel your mood lightening.  The first person narrative of Duckling is like that of a small child discovering something wonderful in abundance.  They are so excited their mind is operating like the balls in a pinball machine.
Duckling’s ability to connect the right attire to each animal via Wuddles’s wool is witty.  As each animal is clothed, the banter will likely lead to gales of laughter from readers.  Here is a passage.
Wuddles, did we forget anyone?
Oh yes, there is Dog.
He’s fine. Furry head,
furry tail.
ACK! …

Librarian's Quest Noticias

Shout Out Loud To Save Yourself, To Save Others

Shout Out Loud To Save Yourself, To Save Others

Very early this morning, before daylight, as thunder rumbled for hours, I finished
Louder Than Hunger
(
Candlewick Press
, March 4, 2024) written by
John Schu
.  Stretched beside me was my loving and loyal canine companion, Mulan.  I was grateful for her calming presence as my soul struggled with Jake’s (and John’s) story.  I wonder what she thought of my crying off and on for hours.
Honored to receive this galley, now filled
with markers of powerful poetic words.
Before this novel-in-verse begins, a letter addressed to
Dear Readers
is written to us by Kate DiCamillo.  She speaks of thirteen-year-old Jake and his heart and his eating disorder.  She is right when she says reading this story will change you.  Jake’s story is John’s story.  John knows the power of story.  He opened his heart so others can live their best lives.  For this, we readers are grateful.
Jake is struggling with who he is and where he fits into his world and the world as a whole.  His middle school years have been horrible due to unrelenting bullying.  Now during his eighth grade year the VOICE that started in seventh grade reiterates the verbal abuse of those bullies.  It tells him one negative statement after another.  He wishes he could disappear, so the VOICE helps him to stop eating.  Then, he can fade away.
Spending the weekends with his Grandma is the thin thread which tethers Jake to this world.  They are soulmates, sharing a love of television shows, broadway musicals and driving in her red car. There are visits to the public library and the statue in the park Jake names Frieden, a welcoming woman with an outstretched hand, guarding four cherubs. Jakes’s grandmother does notice his thinness and reminds him
to take care of her boy
.
As part of a school community service project, Jake provides company and reads aloud to residents at a nursing home.  One of those residents, Ms. Burns, a blind woman and former teacher of thirty-five years, asks to hold Jake’s hand one day as he is reading.  She instinctively knows something is not right despite Jake’s denials.  A phone call changes everything.
For nearly a year Jake is in more than out of therapy at
Whispering Pines
where his eating disorder can be treated.  We are there with him every step of the way as John writes these poems with exquisite pacing and placement of words and letters.  We experience the struggles of Jake as he navigates relationships with other patients, dietitians, therapists and a strictly regimented lifestyle.  It is heart wrenching to witness and share this journey, but his courage to continue is a shared triumph.
In
Louder Than Hunger
John Schu, through the character Jake, allows us to see how a teen can descend into a disorder due to bullying without the necessary parental support.  We are given an inside look at therapy.  This removes any perceived stigma attached to the word therapy.  I believe you will find yourselves deeply moved by …

Librarian's Quest Noticias

From Tiny To Mighty, Above And Below, Watch Them Go

From Tiny To Mighty, Above And Below, Watch Them Go

Without fail near Mother’s Day every year, a deliberate, planned treasure hunt began.  Unlike many treasure hunts, there was no map with a large «X» marking a spot.  To be sure, there were areas to check, but much depended on the weather and the type of spring we were having.  As a child and then later as a teen, I am not sure which was more fun, watching my father seek and find the elusive morel mushroom or finding them myself.
How my dad acquired his skills as a morel mushroom hunter or, for that matter, skills at finding other edible mushrooms is a mystery, but our meals were better for his knowledge.  For him and every reader with a desire to learn about the fantastic abilities of living species to be found around us in the natural world,
Fungi Grow
(
Beach Lane Books
, an imprint of
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
, October 17, 2023) written with infinite care by Maria Gianferrari with exquisite artwork by Diana Sudyka is a title as precious and delicious as the morel mushroom.  A poetic, lively and informative narrative accompanied by detailed, colorful images highlights a realm deserving our attention.
Fungi grow.
Start with a spore—
a sort of seed.
Readers journey from unusual places on fungi by unusual modes of transportation.  Self-generated breezes, rain, unsuspecting animals, slim, and malodorous smells help spores to move.  Once these spores have landed, they begin to fashion roots.
These rootlike formations, named hyphae, free enzymes which act as agents of change, breaking down and taking back.  The hyphae make threads, like cotton, which spread underground.  These mycelium are responsible for what we see above ground.
Some mushrooms rely on trees for their life.  Trees make what they cannot. They in turn provide trees with minerals.  They, mycorrhizal fungi, connect trees to one another so they can send messages which can warn other trees of danger.
Some edible fungi are found above and below ground.  Other mushrooms begin small, grow up and then spread out like dancers’ dresses.  Fungi can be found on dead wood, looking like shelves, tiny umbrellas, or colorful, striped tutus.
Fungi come in shapes and sizes and colors that defy imagination.  Large or small they make their presence known.  They can punch through cement or asphalt or thrive where everything else has died.  They can be deadly or can help.  They are an essential, magnificent piece of the puzzle we call life.
Much like the path a spore takes,
Maria Gianferrari
, through her extensive research and gifted writing, takes readers roaming with purpose through the world of fungi.  Repetition of the title phrase ties portions of the narrative together like mycorrhizal fungi.  Alliteration and rhyming invite us deeper into the text.  Explanatory paragraphs further inform us beneath lyrical statements.  Here are two connecting passages.
Spores catapult, sail, wander with wind.
PUFF!
Cottony rot …

Librarian's Quest Noticias

The Best Gift Ever

The Best Gift Ever

More than twenty-three years ago, a chocolate Labrador puppy was born.  As the smallest dog in her litter, a powerful name was given to her by her human.  She was called Xena.  For fifteen years, she was a constant companion to a woman who had endured pain and was starting a new normal.  The duo wandered, walked and ran in all kinds of weather.  They shared adventures firmly stored in the human’s mind and heart.
After Xena’s death, fifteen blog posts beginning on
December 2, 2015
and ending on
December 21, 2015
were written.
In those posts conversations about our shared experiences lead to honoring a specific book focusing on a dog or dogs.  Today I have the distinct pleasure of again paying tribute to the enrichment dogs bring to our lives.
Every action they take is based on the use of their enhanced senses, any training they may have, and a deep desire to give unconditional love.  The collaboration of author Maria Gianferrari and illustrator Ishaa Lobo gives readers a title filled with the return of that love.
To Dogs, with Love: A Love Letter to the Dogs Who Help Us
(
Roaring Brook Press
, December 5, 2023) speaks truth in lyrical words and in lovingly-fashioned and researched artwork.
Dear Dogs,
Thank you for your tails
that whip and thump and pump,
Even when they’re stubby—
They bring joy.
Each of eight passages begins with thanking dogs for one of their notable characteristics.  Their ears never miss a sound.  It’s as if they understand every word we utter.  With their eyes, they see us and what we cannot see.
As our hands stroke their fur, regardless of its length or texture, peace wraps around us. Their paws provide perspective in every step and stance.  When we least expect it, dogs’ tongues are the best kind of kisses.  Kisses we need.
The phrase «the nose knows» is an authentic description of dogs’ ability to sniff out anything good or bad in our surroundings, even our emotions.  When a dog’s head finds its way next to your head as you sleep, it is the best gift ever.  An unbreakable bond, a lasting connection, is formed.
As the letter comes to a close, we thank them for all the actions they take every day to join us in our lives.  They know when to give joy or soak up sadness.  They bring calm as we drift off to sleep in their presence.  We are filled with gratitude.
With every word author
Maria Gianferrari
writes we are aware of her gift as a wordsmith and of her fondness for all things dog.  As she describes each physical attribute, we know she has witnessed and enjoyed the benefits of every aspect of a dog.  Her use of rhyme and alliteration create a musical flow throughout this entire ode to our canine companions.  Here is another passage.
Thank you for your fur,
Long
Or short,
Coiffed
Or curly—
Fuzzy for nuzzling,
Gifting comfort.
On either side of the spine on the dust jacket, illustrator
Ishaa Lobo
has drawn a cozy setting within the same room as indicated by the walls.  She features a child …

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